Life is Strange - Stranger Storms Part 6
by Mahros
Summary: Max, Chloe, their adopted daughter and a local friend continue their trials in Telkia. As an ongoing serious, reading without parts 1-5 will be disorientating. Swearing and mild drug use, equivalent to what is in the game.


SIX

Leaving Obix to monitor the driving, Osira headed into the back of her APC where Emma was sat amongst the crates, a silver circlet being used to hold her red hair back as much as to allow her to access the vehicle's computer.

"The circlets work better against the skin," Osira told her. "Not only does it give better contact for sending signals to your brain but your body heat recharges them."

"I know," Emma shrugged.

The red-haired woman had wanted to travel with Osira at least for the first day to give her parents time together and trade stories of the years spent on separate worlds. Osira was mostly convinced Earth and Telkia were different, otherwise Calderwell and the others returning would have changed something.

It made sense to travel with two people in each vehicle but the compartment was still cramped. The APCs were designed for a dozen large people with weapons and rad-suits but that space soon went when carrying cargo in addition to living in them. They had travelled most of the day with night now approaching and, although the APCs could have continued through the night, everyone agreed to stop at a convenient point.

"Why do you like the Grand Fault Order?" Emma asked.

"'Like'? I do not 'like' them," Osira frowned. "The Order is corrupt and flawed. I support them because the alternative is anarchy. My hope is there is enough potential in them that they will evolve in the future to something more… honourable."

"The least bad option?" Emma queried.

"Yes but there is potential," Osira answered, standing among boxes. "I reviewed much of your world's governments and the… 'dog-eat-dog?'" Emma nodded to confirm the expression was correct. "…chaos of the wastes. The Grand Fault Order is not so bad in comparison but mostly I fear what tyranny would replace it, especially after reviewing your world's history."

"So, it's more like the Little Faults Order," Emma commented dryly.

"The moniker implies bringing order after the fault that brought the catastrophe to our world," Osira explained, although knowing Emma was only joking. "Corruption is endemic and I wish it was not so. If bribery was punished then I would have more optimism for what the Order could be."

"It's hard for me to feel loyalty to a nation," Emma responded and Osira felt a twitch of irrational annoyance that the other woman did not feel gratitude towards the Order. "Cowl's encampment took us in when no-one else would but I don't know what the Grand Fault Order did to help before them. Chloe-mom says I'm 'American' but my experience of there is only of being hunted."

"There's a hilltop that's suitable for a halt," Chloe announced through the headsets. As the message was being relayed through the circlet, Chloe's name appeared in Osira's head and the voice was a default one rather than her accent. There were various options that seemed designed as much for commercial use as military, including having an avatar to represent the person speaking but that seemed pointless.

Emma shifted the circlet slightly and stared into the middle distance. Osira considered that for all that the circlet projected images and words into their minds, it was worth being aware that personal awareness was diminished. She concentrated on the icon in her mind showing a bright yellow arrow, which then took her to the Lidar-created map of the surrounding area that highlighted a rise in the terrain.

"Substrata is solid and clear," Chloe had annotated but Osira checked. Being higher, the sand had not collected on the surface and radiation levels were low.

"A pity there's no water or it would make a good settlement spot," Emma stated using the circlet so, again, just the name showed and the default voice sounded in Osira's mind.

"It looks ideal for our purposes," Osira confirmed and the APCs deviated from their westerly course.

"Does the on-board computer have a hand-to-hand training program?" Emma asked verbally as she took the circlet off.

"We have rail guns," Osira stated, perplexed. Sometimes, the people from Earth were unfathomable.

"And when the Wardens were forcing my mother's head underwater? Or when the Fort Jinyo Defence Force confiscated our weapons? It is a useful skill to have," Emma countered. "Obix might not always be there to save us."

"I will endeavour to be," Obix stated from the front. "However, should you wish to have a partner, I can emulate a human's moves."

Osira frowned and wondered where that offer came from but resisted delving into his soft-int. Obix had far more combat skills than a normal mech as it was necessary as her protector on missions for the Order but offering to teach a human to fight was peculiar.

"Thanks but I've seen your abilities," Emma responded. "I need something more basic."

"I would not injure you," Obix declared, clearly shocked at the notion despite using more than minimum force on the Wardens back when Emma head-butted Scarrow. "I can limit myself to what is appropriate."

"Then I accept, thank you, Obix," Emma acknowledged and Osira felt a ping of annoyance at the woman not checking with her.

"There are combat programs but designed for tactical analysis," Osira added, having spent much of the uneventful journey to and from Troy City further investigating what the APC was capable of. Having got into the coding, she had noted that it was different to anything compiled in the Order yet the interface remained simple to use.

"The idiot's guide to waging war," Emma responded.

"Indeed," Osira nodded. "As long as the user was prepared to read and heed, it covers the principles of battle."

The APC angled upwards and shortly after came to a halt. Chloe and Max stepped out of the other vehicle in full rad-gear. Osira thought again of Earth and whether she could have adjusted to walking outside in sunlight on fields of grass. She put on the coveralls, fastening the seals tightly and making sure the hood fit securely over her face so she could see while breathing through the respirator. The readings indicated low levels but even they would build up over time and that was ignoring the possibility of a sudden sirocco.

Stepping out, Osira felt safe in the suit. Even in townships with rad-shields, part of her wanted the added security of a rad-suit.

"Is it all like this?" Max asked, staring out at their surroundings and Osira looked at her with surprise.

"You get used to the differences," Chloe replied as Emma stretched. "Notice the trees are darker and closer together. Something made a den in the side of that hill, which is rare out in the wastes around Cowl's. If there was water or you could get a reservoir going, I'd recommend they move out here."

Osira observed the land from the hill top both visually and using the circlet to have the APC scan the area. Unlike further east, the terrain undulated with dips and hills but no sign of habitation.

"There's little to trade out here," Osira commented as Emma was pointing out a large bison-like creature chewing on the scrub plants interspersed among distant trees.

"There's enough water for the plants to grow," Chloe commented. "There are plants and animals and the radiation level is only a bit above Earth's."

"We could sleep out, under the APCs," Max suggested.

"We have no idea what's out here," Emma said. "Unfortunately, it's safer in the vehicles."

With the protection of the rad-suit, Osira found the notion of being outside the APC for a while appealing but Emma was correct. She watched Chloe check the plating on the APCs before the sun went down. With the light suffused by the clouds, the sun was turning the sky orange and darkening the shadows on the ground. Obix stood uncertainly, wanting to help but Chloe seemed content checking the planes and tightening screws herself while some grating, fast-tempo 'music' played through the speakers.

"So, do we have any idea how far it is to the Knights' land?" Emma asked her. "Nothing in the computer database?"

"The recording system has to be turned on and the mercenaries left it off," Osira explained. "There's some indication that the vehicles travelled for five days but often at high speed. There was also some indication of combat prior to arriving at the Bright Horizons building but it could have been practice."

"You have switched it on?" Emma checked and Osira nodded. The information would be useful and they were at the limit of territory Kotari Bridge knew about. Osira had Obix listening for anything relevant while at the settlement but most considered the west a dangerous, barren land without knowing details. She wondered if it was simply a case that because people thought it was hazardous they did not explore.

"It's nice to be out here," Osira declared. "Away from the towns."

"For a while," Emma responded. "I miss the community of Cowl's encampment."

"Would you go back?" Osira asked as she stared out at uneven land. There was no indication that humans had ever been through the area, let alone settled there.

"I don't know that I can," Emma replied. "Even the brief visit was like… we had become distant. I had lost track of the day-to-day events, let alone Kote, who I had never heard of."

"I grew up in a small settlement as well, although more militarized and closer to the Order," Osira said. "I have thought to return, if the Viceroy ever stops giving me tasks, but I suspect I would no longer be at home there."

"Vat meat and pale vegetable stew is ready," Max called and Osira had not realised she had been cooking.

The stew was bland but filling and they ate together in the other APC, which had been so personalised that Osira could barely recognise it. Aside from clothing and bedding hung up to air and racks for clothing around the cargo, there was barely a square centimetre not covered in graffiti. Most were simply doodles, often of birds or skulls and flowers like her tattoos but Chloe had added some chemical formula with symbols that made more sense now that Osira had seen the other world.

There was more conversation about the Order as Emma and Chloe explained about living in Cowl's encampment and traveling into Troy City. The city Peacemakers had not been welcoming, as they often saw those from the wastes as vagrants and criminals.

Not long after, they settled down to sleep in the APCs and Osira drifted off wondering about what the Knights of Liberty were like.

She woke to scratching and the onboard computer giving a warning.

"What?" Emma managed over on the other side of the compartment, which was now lit by a red light.

Osira grabbed the circlet, which she kept by where she slept. The one time Osira had tried sleeping with it on, she had strange dreams and woken often.

The APC was tracking hundreds of targets that it failed to categorize as the icons flashed through green, yellow, orange and red. The external sensors showed nothing useful as dark patches flashed across regardless of whether in infra-red or normal view.

"What are they?" Emma asked. "Can they get in?"

Her eyes were wide and she looked concerned but Osira suspected her own features were the same as the sound of scratching filtered through the seals.

"I do not know," Osira admitted. "I doubt they can get through the armour but there are enough ventilation points that they could clog the air intake or get something stuck in the exhaust ports."

"I shall go and drive them away?" Obix asked.

"No, Obix," Osira said. "They are likely to destroy you. I will activate the rail cannon in the hope of killing enough to scare the rest away."

"They could get into the turret joint," Emma pointed out, wincing as Osira did at a high-pitch screech when a claw scraped directly on the graphene armour.

"There's not going to be any disguise left at this rate. Still, perhaps we should drive away and hope they don't follow," Osira considered but then music began blaring out from the other APC. If the songs playing while they ate had been fast, this was an almost incoherent cacophony that had her preferring the scratching.

_Chloe wants battle music? _Osira thought for a moment before understanding.

The icons moved rapidly away from the vehicles and a few that had been closest fell dead to the ground, the symbols turning dark grey. Osira sympathised.

The music halted, Osira's ears ringing in the sudden quiet.

"I've set the computer to play 'Firewalker' again if they get within twenty yards," Chloe told them laconically over the circlets. "'Night, you two: don't do anything we wouldn't."

Osira slept badly for the rest of the night.

They stood outside in their rad-suits as soon as the sky lightened and clustered around one of the dead creatures.

"That's scary," Max stated.

Osira knelt to study it closer, after poking it with a stick to make sure it was dead. Chloe and Emma held rail rifles and Osira felt safer even though Obix's lack of concern indicated there was no danger.

Essentially a bat with large ears, small eyes and black skin but over 70 centimetres long with curving claws and a snout with razor sharp teeth, its wing span was at least a meter across. By itself, the creature was hardly comforting but there had been hundreds during the night.

"What on Earth… on Telkia do they eat?" Max queried.

"They probably scour the land for a hundred kilometres," Osira guessed, although how such a large colony of bat-like creatures actually survived was perplexing.

"Perhaps they migrate," Chloe suggested.

"Possible but I suspect they are why few traverse this land," Osira surmised. "Anything less than the APCs protection out here at night would get shredded."

"Do you think they are edible?" Emma wondered and Osira looked up at her.

"Won't they be irradiated?" Max checked.

"They are not radioactive," Obix declared. "I can check for toxins but there should be no danger."

"I guess they live in a safe cave," Chloe shrugged. "Bats for breakfast, anyone? As the first survivors, I name them 'oz-bats'."

Osira frowned, uncertain how to feel about having the lethal creatures referred to by the abbreviated name Chloe had given her.

"Chloe-bats sounds too much like 'Chloe is batting', Em-bats would make people wonder where the A to L bats were, Obe-bats like 'Oh, bats' and they're not big enough to be Max-bats." Chloe explained and Osira sighed, wondering if one day she would be a footnote to the description of the creatures.

Emma skinned the creatures and Max cooked them while Chloe and Obix did what they could to repair the damage. Some of the panels had been torn off, others had scratches through the art Chloe had drawn on them and a few oz-bats had caught in the wheel hubs or behind the plates, although all were dead.

With little to do, Osira helped to fetch and carry, taking and bagging the meat and pelts from the bats as Emma quickly skinned them as well as passing tools and parts to Chloe and Obix. The latter looked concerned at her having to manually work and it was not what she preferred but they needed to get moving again. Even with the advanced rad-suits taken from the mercenaries, handling items was difficult and, after a while, Osira noted Obix removed the gloves from his radiation suit.

"It's a mess but covered again," Chloe announced after two hours. "How's it look on the Lidar?"

"Good," Osira declared, using the circlet to check and catching herself giving a thumbs-up. Back into the APCs and traveling west, threading a course through the hills. Much of the terrain was similar to that in the east, although less even, but there was some variation. Unfortunately, the Price-Caulfields - especially Chloe - seemed to be taking the mission to infiltrate an unknown, hostile power as a holiday trip.

They stopped at a line of rock formations that had been shaped by the wind, mostly tall pillars but one a hollowed loop, another, squatter one reminded them of a toad. Osira then had to wait impatiently as the two older women laughed for five minutes because one of the wind-sculpted rocks happened to look vaguely like male genitalia. Another delay while they chipped their initials into the rock, which she did as well simply because it was quicker than arguing with them.

'Claimed by the Pirates of Arcadia Bay' and their five names were therefore marked on the leeside of a rock and unlikely to be seen by anyone ever again.

The day's travel, already shortened by the repairs to the APCs' disguises, was ended early when they came across an oasis in the middle of the afternoon. There was no means of persuading any of them - including Emma - to continue so they halted by the pool. It was both beautiful and ugly: set in a depression in the land, there was a deep pool of clear water where the bottom was out of sight but radioactive. The plants surrounding it were lush with leaves but warped and twisted with black, dead patches or mutated leaves and branches. The closer to the centre the flora was, the worse the effects, with some growing rapidly and collapsing while others were stunted and weak. Further out, where they halted, it was almost possible to pretend nothing was abnormal, with grasses and palm trees registering close to safe levels.

Once settled, Osira was glad they had stopped there. There was something soothing about the greenery. If she looked closely, Osira could see some of the leaves were too small or spindly while others had grown in strange shapes. Aware that it was uncharacteristic, Osira decided not to study the details and lay in her rad-suit on the grass, staring up at a view more verdant than she had ever seen. Yes, there were fields of crops but they were enclosed in rad-domes and perfectly tended by mechs.

For a minute, she took her hood off. There was little wind to blow particles about and the desert away from the oasis had lower levels of radiation than even outside Troy City. With fresh air against her face and the sight of the plants unhindered by the suit's visor, Osira thought of Earth, where such a thing was normal. It was not long, however, before she was feeling exposed and vulnerable, reattaching the hood but still taking pleasure from lying on the ground, staring up at the canopy.

Even Chloe playing music - thankfully softer and quieter than during the night - nor Emma training with Obix disturbed her tranquillity. Chloe and Max were talking about Earth and how it was an adventure they dreamed of as children before gathering fallen wood to start a fire for cooking.

"Are you alright, mistress?" Obix asked after a while.

"Yes, thank you, Obix," Osira replied but soon got up. _What would it be like to lie here in just a shirt and slacks? _ She wondered and regretted not having the chance to do more on Earth before remembering how most of her time had been spent with a headache and a nose streaming like a faucet.

She watched Obix return to sparring with Emma, the latter awkward in the rad-suit but the mech made for an excellent tutor. He could strike and stop a millimetre from contact, throw his opponent without causing injury and take a blow without damage or emotion.

The fire was also satisfying as the sun went down. It was rarely cold, given the cloud cover trapped most heat, so she had rarely bothered with one when crossing the Blood Desert on foot to find Chloe and Emma as it would attract attention. Far from civilization, however, there was little chance of it attracting roving bands and was a comforting orange glow as the shadows spread.

_Oz-bat _meat for dinner again but cooked over the fire on skewers.

"We are getting away from our purpose," she stated as Max handed her another skewer. Osira felt the Price-Caulfields' lackadaisical attitude was rubbing off on her.

"Unless the Grand Fault Order and the Knights of Liberty can be kept separate, knowledge of the land between will be as important as anything else," Max told her. The _oz-bat_ meat was overcooked but not terribly and Osira considered while chewing.

"You are correct," she eventually surmised. What any future travellers faced crossing the gap was worth noting but spending four hours sat at the edge of an oasis doing nothing felt wrong. The two vehicles appeared good only for scrapping with the external plates scored and battered but she knew it was only superficial. Standing while still eating the skewer, Osira thought it was a shame Chloe's artwork had mostly been ruined by the overgrown bats.

The next day they managed an early start, moving almost as soon as the eastern sky brightened and driving past hills that still cast shadows. Fortunately, the night had passed without interruption and Osira felt better for more of a rest, taking over sitting in the driver's seat as Obix taught Emma how to fight in a tight space.

Hours passed and Osira found the rhythm of the vehicle made her drowsy. Inevitably, the Price-Caulfields found something to investigate. Off in the distance was what appeared to be a lake and they detoured to examine it, despite being a detour of several kilometres. Closer, they saw it was a circle of pale green glass, possibly created by a nuclear explosion. A pool about fifty meters across was uncovered from the surrounding sand, prompting speculation as to how it had happened.

There were no answers but readings of the radioactive decay indicated it was from centuries ago. As usual, Max used the data pad to photograph the area and their little group staring at it.

"It's not pretty," Emma decided, stood beside her.

They had halted a hundred meters away, although the low level of radiation and firm ground meant they could have driven closer yet did not want to disturb the area. It was merely melted sand but only Chloe wanted to take a piece as a memento as even Osira felt the desolate circle of bubble-laced glass was a tombstone to a dead civilization. It was still, with no sign of life and even the wind barely moved the surrounding sand.

"It's glass," Chloe objected, shaking her head. "It'll probably cover up again in a day or two."

The glass was in thousands of pieces but Osira still felt it was better for the past to be reburied without disturbing it, perhaps more so for having seen that other world. She was more certain than ever that it was not Telkia's past but maybe very similar.

Chloe swore and picked up a piece of spare ceramic plating, using a piece of saved charcoal from yesterday's fire to rapidly draw. _Another delay_, Osira thought but was more bothered by her own increasing indifference to it. The world beyond and what was important - the Order, the Knights, Troy City - was fading as they drove further into the gap between civilizations.

"Very Chloe Price," Max declared as her spouse finished. The black charcoal drawing showed the area including surrounding sand but with a mushroom explosion in the background and ravens dropping skulls to encircle the glass.

"Come on," Chloe said, "if we can't go and build a glass house, we may as well continue."

Osira made to object, throwing her hands up, but Chloe - arm-in-arm with Max - was already walking back to the APCs followed by Emma. Chloe Price had decided to stop and Chloe Price had decided to leave but what could she say? _No, let's stay longer_? It was almost more annoying that if Osira had suggested remaining, Chloe would have been fine with that instead of insisting on doing what she wanted. Osira sighed and returned to her APC.

The following day was barely interrupted and when the Lidar detected a cave, Osira was as glad to stop as anyone. The entrance was twenty meters across, although with enough protrusions that the APCs would struggle to drive in.

"The oz-bats could live here," Max warned as they all stood in the entrance.

"We've travelled a long way from where they attacked but there could be another colony," Chloe said, peering into the darkness.

"We'll mark it as a point of interest and move on," Osira stated.

"If it's clear of radiation and there's water, you could put a settlement here," Emma suggested. "Maybe move Cowl's encampment."

"It's far from Kotari Bridge," Max commented.

"It's far from anywhere," Chloe added but clearly not dismissing the idea. "Set up Moshie's here and he would have constant customers on the trail between the two nations."

"They attacked us," Osira reminded them. "They crossed hundreds of kilometres to launch an assault on the Horizon's building."

"Well, a staging post for your counterstrike, then," Chloe shrugged. "You can't let a good cave go to waste."

"The location sucks and a bit short on amenities but it has potential," Max agreed. "Put some grass outside the entrance, plant a few flowers, perhaps a picket fence to keep the hyenas out and it could be quite homey."

Chloe, inevitably, left her mark on the place chipping 'No trespassers - ABP' near the entrance with a knife, apparently too impatient to spell out 'Arcadia Bay Pirates'.

Then it was continuing on but they had only gone for another hour before the APC's onboard computer warned them of approaching armed vehicles. The same ceramic plates that disguised the vehicles interfered with the Lidar sensors and eight orange icons were barely half a kilometre away when detected. Both APCs stopped and waited.

The images firmed into a buggies armed with machine guns but still light enough to traverse over the sand where the APCs tended to bulldoze through. Unlike any vehicles of the Grand Fault Order, they had small rad-domes over their frames, which would keep their weight down but use a good deal of power as well as being expensive. They circled the two APCs, machine guns pointing at them and the icons showing in her mind turned red. The computer had a targeting solution that would lead to them all being destroyed within 10 seconds, although Osira wondered if the ceramic plating would hinder it.

She considered initiating conversation but being reasonable was unlikely to work so left it to Chloe.

"If we demonstrate our firepower, no-one needs to be hurt," Obix stated.

"At the moment, they are underestimating us," Emma said, "like the mercenaries did. Besides, they will prey on the next people to cross this way."

"There are few people crossing and there is no guarantee they would be hostile," Obix countered.

"Open the doors or we start shooting," came a voice over a loud-hailer.

"Fuck off or die," came Chloe's voice in response.

Osira watched one of the buggies fire a burst over Chloe and Max's APC and the computer almost seemed to be begging to fire, although she knew it was not sentient.

"Mistress…" Obix began.

To Osira's surprise, Chloe only fired over the head of the vehicle that had shot but, perhaps scared, it opened fire on the APC followed by the other buggies. Bullets cracked through the ceramic plates but did not even scratch the underlying armour.

The first buggy exploded as the lead APC fired at it. Osira brought up the rail cannons on their APC as well, ready to shoot should it prove required. Obix hung his head. The second buggy did not explode but was almost as thoroughly destroyed as rail cannon slugs disintegrated it.

The remaining six buggies took off and Chloe stopped firing.

"I must render assistance, if they are alive," Obix declared, already getting into a rad-suit, and Osira nodded. It necessitated another halt as Chloe checked the ceramic plates and liaised with Osira to confirm they still did their job despite the lattice of cracks and perforations.

Flames and black smoke trailed up from the first wreck while the second one sat like a jumble of shattered garbage. Unfortunately, two of the attackers were alive, one from each vehicle. Osira slid on the rad suit and left the APC as well, aware there was little she could do but wanting to stretch her legs in addition to morbid curiosity. The buggies and their weapons were of a different design to what she was used to but not anything that would be out of place in Troy City, aside from the portable rad-domes. They used sun-powered electrical systems more familiar to Earth then the Grand Fault Order.

Obix worked on a man who had been in the second buggy where a rail gun slug had torn through both his legs. The mech worked with his normal superhuman efficacy, sealing off the limbs at the thigh and amputating. Despite his efforts, the shock and blood loss proved too great. Osira could not help but feel relief as the man died.

Obix moved quickly to the other casualty, with no outward display of disappointment.

Osira saw Max and Emma comforting Chloe. The woman had given them warning verbally and by demonstrating the APCs' abilities but the bandits had still attacked. There was nothing to feel guilty about.

_But I didn't kill five people and injure a sixth using weapons that outclassed them as though they were throwing pebbles,_ Osira's conscience reminded her. Blood was still soaking into the sand.

The survivor was a young man, less than her age by several years, dressed only in animal skins as the rad dome on the vehicle would allow him to avoid wearing a rad-suit. Tanned but with hair dyed white, he had been thrown out as the buggy exploded, breaking an arm and spraining a leg. He was also dazed and confused, mumbling incoherently and cried out as Obix put a splint along his arm.

"He had best go in ours," Chloe said. "There's a little more room if we clear some of the crap out the way."

Her voice sounded grim but not emotional.

"Obix can tend to him better in ours," Osira stated and Chloe shrugged.

"We had best decide what to do with him," Max said.

"There's not much choice: he has to come with us to the Knights of Liberty," Osira responded. "It means being careful but hopefully he's not affiliated with them."

"Should we question him?" Max queried.

"I doubt he knows much," Chloe said. "Just the local version of a waste-runner."

"Besides, if he doesn't answer, I'm not for torturing him," Osira added.

"No!" Max exclaimed. "I wasn't suggesting… No."

"What do you think they would do to us? Or have done to others?" Chloe pointed out. "But, no, that is not who we are." From her tone, she sounded more like that was exactly who they were but Obix nodded appreciatively.

"It probably means we're getting close," Emma observed and Osira considered that the raiders were not likely to be very far from civilization. They headed back to the APCs, Obix carefully carrying the injured man with them.

Their prisoner slept and woke towards evening with more awareness, staring about with alarm.

"Let me out," he demanded.

Osira told Obix to halt, explaining to Chloe and Max why they had stopped. Chloe mentioned the land had been gradually rising with them now some distance higher than around Troy City, either indifferent to what the man would do or knowing he would not leave.

The hatch opened, causing a ceramic plate to fall off and Osira wondered if the disguise would last the journey. In addition to wind and sand, the covering had been attacked by bats and hit by machine gun fire.

"Sir, I highly advise against leaving," Obix recommended while going to reattach the plate.

Outside was similar to much of the journey with scattered palm-trees and other plants, including tufts of grass in the lee of the hills but mostly it was coarse sand.

"We skirted a hot spot about two miles back," Obix warned.

Osira could almost read the man's thoughts: I have to leave. To leave is death.

"Mistress…" Obix began but Osira cut him off.

"We are not wasting resources on him if he leaves," she stated, knowing the mech wanted to give the man water, food, a rad-suit and probably a rail pistol.

Their unwanted prisoner looked at her and glowered but appeared frightened rather than frightening. If the man was 16, then he would be counted as a man and could have been on raids for a year or two but, right then, he seemed barely more than a child; a boy in more trouble than he had anticipated.

"Make your mind up," Emma said.

He swore for a full minute while Obix fixed the repairs and stepped back in. Osira closed the door and the APC rumbled off.

"I won't talk," the man declared as he sat in a corner so as to watch them all. "Joddrel and the rest of the boys will be coming to get me. You can't make me tell you anything. I'm not scared of any of you."

"Good, shut up then," Emma responded, sounding like Chloe.

Not long after, it began to rain and the APCs made heavier going, even with their oversized tyres and multi-wheel drive. They drove late into the night in the hope of finding a suitable stopping place but visibility was down and eventually the group agreed to stop on the top of a hill. At one point, Osira was not certain the APCs would have enough traction to reach the crest but Chloe had it down as a challenge so they zig-zagged their way to the top.

Chloe planted a flag made from an old t-shirt with skull and crossbones inked onto it and attached to a bar left over from attaching the ceramic plates then walked over to Osira's vehicle. Dripping wet, Chloe removed the hood from the rad-suit once inside, trudging muddy sand in.

She did a fist-bump with Emma then Osira, who still found the greeting odd.

"How's it going?" Chloe asked. "It doesn't sound like this is the party bus yet."

"We're taking a break," Emma replied.

"You know either of you are welcome to travel with us whenever you want," Chloe offered.

"You've not fallen out, have you?" Emma checked.

"What? No. I'm just saying if you want a change of scenery from the inside of one APC to the inside of another APC, we would welcome the company," Chloe explained. "Talking of company, how's our guest?"

"Asking questions we either don't want to answer or don't know," Osira responded. "Still, we did learn that he's part of Joddrel Town, basically a waste-runner settlement of forty, including women and children. They've been raiding settlements closer to the Knights and taking their stuff but it sounds like the Knights have been expanding. Very similar to what we have around the Order's outskirts."

"He's bored," Emma explained.

In the corner, the man blushed furiously, clenching his teeth.

"You'll pay for this," he threatened. "No-one fools me."

"Fool you?" Osira queried, looking at him with puzzlement. "We never asked for you to tell us any of that."

"You tricked me," he snarled. "I'll make you wish you'd never heard of me."

"We haven't heard of you," Emma pointed out, heavily, and clearly as weary of him as Osira was.

"Torus Harrison," he stated with his chin up. "Remember it."

Chloe went over and squatted before him. He looked at her with clearly superficial bravado.

"Torus, there's one punishment: exile," she told him then stood up again and went to Obix.

"Obe, I know you will protect them both anyway but don't let him near Emma or Oz," Chloe instructed. "Will you stand watch overnight?"

"Of course, Mistress Chloe," Obix acknowledged, making Osira want to explore his soft-int to see what was happening and how far he would go in that instruction.

Osira observed Torus as he watched Chloe Price. His face remained pale from pain after he had repeatedly refused morphine. Obix had begged him to take it but was determined not to lose alertness and as a Steel Warrior for Joddrel, he was expected not to flinch from pain.

"I'm making a deck of playing cards from the spare ceramics, can you cut them to the same size?" Chloe was asking Obix. "We could be stuck here for a while."

Osira was aware that there was nothing any of them could do about the weather and it was bad luck that there was a downpour but it was annoying to spend longer within the APC. The recyclers made the air dry and stale but kept it from smelling despite there now being three of them and Obix within its confines. If it was the main rain for the year, it could last days almost without respite.

Fortunately, her worry proved unfounded as the precipitation stopped overnight and dawn was clear of clouds. With the ground underfoot still damp despite the greed with which it absorbed the water, they all stood outside for a while with the rad suit hoods unfastened. There were, perhaps, a dozen days each year where Osira had seen the sky completely blue yet it never ceased to amaze her. The dark grey clouds had been reduced to puffs of pale white surrounded by blue almost horizon to horizon.

Plants were also springing up, with shoots breaking through the surface and there were patches of green surrounding them. For all that she felt unprotected and part of her mind was factoring the reduced likelihood of radiation even while the vehicles' sensors was confirming it was negligible, Osira keenly felt the desire to have a world where standing outside was normal. No-one spoke, with even Torus humbled into silence.

The widely separated pale trees were flowering, with dark buds along their branches and bushes that had been almost invisible against the sand already verdant among rivulets of muddy water. Osira watched a pack of lizards the size of small dogs roam across a nearby hill searching for rodents while a bird of prey circled above, a dark silhouette against the azure sky.

Chloe checked the ceramic plates were secure and they had breakfast of simple oat biscuits bought in Kotari Bridge with Torus suspicious but hunger overrode his reluctance to accept anything from them, regardless of it was drugged. He had looked east for signs of rescue, apparently not losing hope at the lack of any sign of it coming. His arm was splinted and he was clearly in pain so Max brought him tea and cookies with marijuana laced into it.

"They were supposed to be a surprise for you," Max told Chloe, handing her a cup and cookie. "You've stayed off smoking so earned a treat."

"Max, have I ever told you how much I love you?" Chloe laughed and Osira saw her face light up.

"Me or little Max?" came the response and Chloe kissed her.

"I could live without little Max but not you. On the other hand, I don't have a problem with having both," Chloe grinned

"That was the deal: you don't smoke the marijuana so you get it in tea and cakes, while I get another tattoo," Max reminded her.

"'Another'? Getting one as a mission statement doesn't count, even if it was our names."

"It still counts," Max smiled and offered Torus a cup and cookie.

"I knew it! You're trying to drug me to get me to talk," he responded.

"It will help with the pain but I'm not going to force it on you," Max told him, while nibbling on one herself.

"We'd best get moving soon or I'm going to want to just stay here all day," Chloe stated.

"Em?" Max offered, leaving Torus.

"Wait. Yes, give me one of them," Torus demanded and Max handed him a cup of marijuana tea and a cookie.

"Just the tea, thanks Max-mom," Emma responded. "It's a bit early in the day to get stoned."

"No, thank you," Osira declared when Max brought the last to her. "One of us needs to be clear-headed."

"We have Obix and the vehicles drive themselves," Max pointed out.

"However, there has not been one day without some delay or diversion," Osira said. "We do not know how far from the Knights of Liberty we are and turning up high is not ideal." Behind Max, Chloe was eating the cookie and sipping the tea with such reverence that Osira wondered if she was addicted.

"You're right, of course," Max conceded, "but we've not seen any sign of civilization other than Torus's bandits. I can brew more if you change your mind."

Osira sighed and shook her head. It was exactly why she had been reluctant to bring them along. Watching Max refill Torus' cup with the stronger remnants in the tea pot, she considered that at least they would not have him scowling and blustering.

SEVEN

It had taken the last of the spare ceramic plates, breaking them in the process, to get the ground to grip under the wheels but the vehicles had driven on that morning. Emma had spent much of the following morning trying to clean the rad suits without water, not helped by the marijuana she had consumed which made her want to just leave it all for later. Torus had been as loquacious as ever but badly flirting with her instead of scowling. Mostly it was saying she and Osira were pretty and would be allowed to live at Joddrel's town. When she asked about her moms, he sadly explained that they were responsible for killing his comrades, which led to an argument without vitriol as both felt too mellow at the time to get angry.

As the marijuana wore off, Torus did not stop his flirting but it became clear at least some of it was to gain his freedom to the point where Emma explained that he would be set free once they were at their destination. He made his disbelief clear.

"We tried to take your cargo," he said, the first time he had admitted to being to blame, "and you're just going to let me go."

"What do you think we are going to do?" Emma asked, aware that interacting with him was probably not the best idea but she was bored. Even playing cards with Osira lost its appeal after several games, especially as there were no stakes.

"Kill me or hand me over to the authorities," Torus replied.

"We would not take you with us just to kill you," Emma pointed out. "As for the authorities, we do not have any proof: it would be your word against ours."

Torus rolled up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo of a skull with a billhook attached to each socket.

"Joddrel Town's mark," he explained when she looked at him without comprehension.

"Emma," Osira called from the front and she moved to join her. Putting on the silver circlet, she moved to stand between the front seats where Osira and Obix were sat, although it was not necessary.

The vehicle had detected a drone in the air, although had marked it as a green icon, considering it a friendly unit. Awkwardly navigating the menu in her mind and mistakenly going into the vehicle's statistics before getting to the analysis of the drone, Emma reviewed what data the APC had on it.

Unlike the Fort Jinyo ones, it had large wings, many times larger than the body of the drone, that were solar panels allowing the machine to remain airborne almost indefinitely. It had sensors covering most spectrums, including a regular camera, and armed with a rail gun. It was semi-autonomous, determining what could be of interest but then reporting it to a human controller. The APC seemed to have complete knowledge of the drone, including that it was from the Knights of Liberty's capital, Sun City.

"I guess we ignore it unless it gets aggressive," Emma considered, speaking mentally through the circlet to her moms as well as Osira.

There was general agreement, as well as the understanding that they were now close to their objective.

Emma returned to Torus, sitting on a nearby crate.

"We have detected a drone from the Knights," Emma informed him while ignoring Osira's circlet-sent explanation that they knew all there was about the drone.

"They strike like cowards," was Torus' response, the marijuana sapping the contempt from his tone.

"When? Does getting close to their towns provoke a response?" she queried but he shrugged.

"They attack when they want," Torus responded. "Do you have more of that cookie?"

"A little but you may need later when the last batch wears off. Besides, we are entering their territory and we all need to be alert," Emma told him and hoped Chloe-mom hadn't cajoled Max-mom into making more. As the neural link through the circlet used her own internal voice, there was no inflection so she could not tell if Chloe was stoned. The relatively relaxed music playing through the speakers of the lead APC was not a good sign.

"You're not as bad as I first thought, you know," Torus commented.

"The drones. Do they retaliate for your attacks?" Emma asked.

"Retaliate?"

"Strike back. Are the Knights attacking due to your attacks on outlying settlements?" she explained, although was interested in his vocabulary being different to her own. Teaching was usually done by mechs in the Order settlements, which kept the language from altering too greatly. Of course, it was only one word but Emma wondered if it meant there was even less interaction between people here.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "You have pretty eyes. No-one in Jod has green eyes."

Emma got up to return to her seat.

"I don't know," Torus repeated. "We hit them and they hit us. I heard some of the elders saying it's getting worse and they started the attacks but who cares?"

Emma passed on the information through the circlet. It was of little use but another indicator that the Knights had become aggressive, if Torus was correct.

"Let's hope they don't just attack," Max said through the circlet. "I'd hate to have come all this way just to be shot at."

"I'll definitely give them a mark down on Travel-log," Chloe commented. "Is that still a thing?"

If Max replied, it was not through the circlet and Emma settled down to observe the surroundings, especially the drone through the circlet.

Torus was completely out of her mind until his arm came round her neck holding a sliver of plastic with a sharp point.

"I'm truly sorry but…" he began.

Before the point could touch her neck, Obix's hand grabbed the man's wrist and forced it away. Torus struggled and swore, making to punch Obix with his other fist. The mech, having risen from the driver's seat in a half crouch intercepted the blow with his arm while twisting Torus' other hand to the point where he cried out and dropped the impromptu shank.

"Thank you, Obix," Emma said, shaken and her heart racing. The mech stared at Torus, struggling impotently in his grip.

"You're breaking my arm!" Torus cried. "I give up. I surrender."

"You were already our prisoner," Obix said flatly.

Osira peered into the man's eyes.

"Not as stoned as he made out," she said.

"I'm sorry! But I'll never get back to Joddrel. Even if the Knights don't kill you, they won't spare me. I just wanted to get back to my family. I have two sisters: they'll be heartbroken. I didn't want to attack you and you seem truly nice and I meant what I said about you being pretty. _Please._ I won't try again. I had no choice but I wouldn't have really hurt you, honestly…"

"Enough!" Emma snapped, tone harshened by the fear he had caused after letting her guard down.

"Obix?" she queried, half-aware of Osira looking at the mech as well. The mech was some time in answering, making Emma wonder just what was going on in the machine, given how fast he could compute.

"Mistress Emma, if you wish to put this person in a rad-suit and allow him to walk back to his people, then I consider that an acceptable chance at him not dying, so will not prevent it." Osira responded. "However, I ask you not to, given the low probability of his surviving."

"Low probability?" Torus exclaiming, wincing as Obix held him firmly despite his injured arm. "It's a death sentence. You will be killing me for wanting to go home."

"You were going to hold a knife to my neck," Emma shouted at him. "Assuming you weren't just going to kill me."

"No! I wasn't…" he began and cried out as his arm wrenched in Obix's immobile grasp.

"You are not honorable," Osira declared, as though passing sentence. "You are not our prisoner, as we have stated. Now, be silent while we decide what to do with you."

"If Chloe-mom finds out, he's gone," Emma told Osira. "There's no two ways about it."

Emma looked at Torus. A life in her hands. It was so temping to take the easy option and pass the responsibility, either to Chloe-mom or to the Knights but that was just a cowardly way of having him killed. Even with a suit, compass and supplies, traversing the wastes to Joddrel Town alone on foot was almost certain to kill him while the Knights of Liberty sounded unlikely to be lenient.

Yet if Chloe-mom could say to Obix _this is not who we are_ after Scarrow had repeatedly held her to the point of drowning, then she had to show mercy.

"Torus, you have attacked us twice now," Emma pronounced, not caring at the anger in her voice. "We have fed you, given you our water, dressed your injury, given you medicine, promised to let you go free and not restrained you…" She drew a breath to calm herself, aware she had been shouting. Torus hung his head and had ceased struggling against Obix's implacable hold.

"Osira is correct: you are dishonourable. Perhaps it is weakness but I can still see the face of the last man I killed so you stay with us," she said and his head came up.

"Thank you! You won't regret it. I won't try again," he started.

"Why not?" Osira asked, puzzling Emma.

"Because I won't throw away this second chance," Torus replied, sounding equally confused.

"Remember that when you next get tempted," Osira stated coldly. Obix released him and Emma wondered whether keeping Torus in their APC was the right move as she now wanted to watch him all time, distrusting what he was doing behind her.

"We have our first contact," Chloe reported. "Three APCs moving to intercept us. Hang back a bit when we stop and cover us."

A moment later, three green icons appeared in the mind display appearing at the edge of the plate-hindered sensors' range.

"Will this APC fire on them, if necessary?" Emma asked Osira.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. You just have to dismiss the friendly fire warnings," the soft-int specialist explained. "But let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Emma turned to check what Torus was doing but he was chewing on a marijuana-laced cookie that he had evidently earlier hidden. He looked appropriately chastened but she suspected that would not last.

"We're ready to fire if they turn hostile?" she checked, wanting the reassurance despite knowing that Osira would be prepared.

"Obix has control of the vehicle, including the rail cannons," Osira told her. "He can react far quicker than either of us, as you saw with our guest."

Emma nodded and heard her mom say over the circlet: "they've pulled up so I'm going to suit up and see what they want. I think I have the circlet set up to transmit what's said. Or play _Pisshead_; one of the two."

"Be careful, mom," Emma added. Nothing had shaken her belief in Chloe-mom's invincibility so much as the waterboarding, all of them helpless until Obix had saved them. The worry here was the enemy rail cannons opening fire before Obix could react. Like at Moshie's, Emma was left observing as Chloe walked out of her vehicle towards the trio of APCs. She wanted to go out there and join that lonely figure but would only get in the way.

"What's happening?" Torus asked, albeit diffidently.

"The Knights have turned up," Emma explained, barely aware of his presence as she concentrated on the image projected into her mind.

"How can you see what is happening?" he queried and Osira tapped one of the narrow vision ports, although Emma had no idea if he believed they were sat back watching through them.

"Chloe Price," her mom announced to a pair of people, almost certainly male from their physiques. Both wore rad suits identical to the one Chloe wore and Emma wondered if the ruse with the APCs would be undone by them recognising the clothing. For once, her mother's artistic side had a practical benefit in addition to any morale one as she had crafted a raven's beak for her suit's hood, despite how cumbersome it would be. The two troopers of the Knights of Liberty held rail guns.

"Corporal Kasper Barnes and Trooper Aspen Hollander. Who are you and why are you in our lands?"

"Price-Caulfield Trading Company, here to see what you have to offer. We've come a long way from the east," Chloe stated. Either directly through the circlets or the audio sensors on the APCs, the three people spoke clearly and in their voices, Chloe with her Oregon accent and the representatives of the Knights in drawling ones.

"We don't trade," Barnes responded. "We want for nothing."

"It's been five days of cramped, hard driving across some pretty shitty terrain," Chloe declared. "I'd rather not have to head back without at least breaking even. I'm asking for the chance to sell enough animal skins to not make the trip a loss. Please."

The last word sounded like it was forced from Chloe. Barnes held up his hand and Emma surmised he was checking further up his command structure using a circlet.

"We'd best hide our rail weapons," Max said through their own circlets. Emma and Osira had already hidden theirs ready for Torus being with them, stashing them within the crates of treated skins, aside from a pair of pistols in the driver's cabin. These they put within their rad suits, hanging from pegs while Torus was distracted staring through a vision slit.

"Anything I should look out for around here?" Chloe was asking and Barnes waved his hand to quiet her.

"How's it going?" Chloe tried with Hollander. "Busy morning?"

"You're really from the other side of the desert?" he asked by way of response as Barnes had edged away as though there was a way of overhearing the corporal's conversation with his superiors.

As Emma was watching in the dreamlike-image in her mind another voice overlay the conversation between Chloe and the trooper.

"What's your take on them, Corporal Barnes?" the additional person queried, although this was without accent and only in her mind. However, perhaps because of the other soldiers, Emma thought the speaker was male. She glanced at Osira, who looked pleased with herself.

"Given the state of their vehicles, I would say waste runners if not for the accent. I think they're actually from where they say, sir," Barnes responded.

"Escort them in," the other ordered. "Bring them to Cora Drift."

Barnes relayed the instruction and soon all five vehicles were heading east with those of the Knights at either end, closer to being guards than escorts. Chloe countermanded Max's instruction to hide the weapons.

"No-one would cross that unarmed," she explained and Emma retrieved some of the guns. "Better to be open with them."

"There's a lot that would give away that we have their gear," Emma observed.

"We'll wing it," Chloe said. Emma noticed Osira shaking her head but there was little choice given they did not know what they were heading into.

The terrain rose fairly sharply to a plateau where Cora Drift was a settlement overlooking the lower area. Emma was slightly disappointed that it did not look significantly different; the buildings were narrower, squarer and taller than she was used to but could still easily count as a settlement in the Order. There was a rad-shield over the town, albeit of a yellow hue rather than orange, while the buildings were grey rather than the more normal beige to the east.

"It looks normal," she commented.

"I thought it would be different, as well," Osira agreed. "Hopefully, a sign they share our values."

Emma considered that optimistic and wondered what their own values were anyway. Troy City seemed venal and self-serving, individually and collectively, yet the outlying towns such as Fort Jinyo were more concerned with independence than anything else.

"I'm into their network," Osira stated. "There's a lot to filter through but our presence is causing something of a stir and getting reported up the chain of command."

"Be careful," Emma warned her and got a raised eyebrow in response, despite how often Osira had mentioned that she had specialised in mech soft-int rather than whatever she was doing now.

"Other spies have been caught," Emma added.

"Yes but their reaction to us implies they tried sneaking in rather than Chloe's bludgeoning approach," Osira responded but then smiled, amused despite the tension.

"If they find me, they'll kill me," Torus said, moving back to the cabin. "This is why I had to make you take me back to Joddrel. This thing has weapons: we should be attacking them before they take us."

"I'll shave your head," Emma offered. "Try to speak like we do: my accent, if possible."

"To hide being a Joddrel is shameful. I will be outcast," Torus objected, running his hand through his bleached hair.

"It's that or chance they won't recognise you," Emma said. "Don't think for a moment we will protect you."

"Do it," he accepted and she used a small pair of scissors from a medical kit to hack off his white hair. Between her lack of experience and his fidgeting, she nicked him more than once and it ended up looking a mess despite being crewcut.

"I look brutal," he declared looking in a mirror as the vehicle halted and Emma swept the pale hair out of the way. If the Knights decided to inspect closely, strands of white hair were the least incriminating evidence against them.

"Just keep quiet and don't glower at them," Emma told him.

"I don't glower," he responded, doing just that.

The hatch opened and a pair of men entered, looking at her in surprise, then uncertainly to Torus, Osira and finally settling on Obix.

"Open the crates," the first man ordered. "Any weapons?"

He was taller than many in the east, with mahogany-coloured hair and pale brown eyes with low eyebrows giving him a suspicious, irritated look. He wore a dull brown uniform and a green helmet with a holstered side-arm at his hip.

"We have four rail guns and four rail pistols, sir," Obix reported but, fortunately, did not mention the cannons. The mech opened the crates and the soldier peered in, wrinkling his nose and then checked the overhead lockers but was peering about with curiosity rather than professionalism, as though having been told to do something he was not trained for. Certainly, he seemed reluctant to rummage through half a dozen crates of old animal skins.

The second one was busy communicating with someone on the circlet he wore, with Emma stashing hers in a drawer. Osira had not taken her one off, however, either too reluctant to part with it or forgetting the soldiers could recognise the technology. Emma wondered if she should engage him in conversation but struggled to think of anything without risking antagonising him. _So, do you check vehicles often? How's the family?_

"Anything?" the second soldier eventually asked and the searcher shrugged.

"The mentioned guns," the man declared. "Nothing that could be contraband."

"Follow us to Sun City," the supervisor told Obix, who looked at Osira.

The two troopers left and Emma settled her circlet back onto her head. Torus swore behind them, simple relief-driven invective.

"Pretend to be human," Osira instructed Obix.

"Mistress," he acknowledged, unhappily.

Chloe's icon showed and the circlets relayed her message.

"I tried to persuade them to let us trade here at Cora Drift but they are keen to get us to their capital."

"We want to be there," Osira observed. "There will be little to discover outside of their capitol."

"It only made them more insistent," Chloe explained. "I figured the best way to get where we want is to say the opposite but, if they had left us here, it would have given us chance to learn something about them first."

An icon representing Max flashed: "What are we looking for?"

Despite the voice in head being neutral - or close to her own tone - her imagination filled in the speech as sounding like it was the person's accent.

"Nothing specific at this stage," Osira told her. "As I said before, we look around and get a feel for these Knights of Liberty."

"No breaking into buildings," Chloe commented. "For now, let's just trade, or at least see what there is."

Emma's attention was caught by a small forest. It had the Knights of Liberty's yellow rad shield over it and the trees were stunted compared with anything she had seen on Earth but the first forest she had seen on Telkia. There were perhaps a hundred trees, in neat lines, with several water sprinklers indicating some form of underground water supply that probably supplied Cora Drift as well. A couple of humans were present, according to the APC's sensors, causing her want to halt to ask them about the trees and why they grew them.

After what they had seen of Cora Drift had proved to be similar to the Order's towns, Emma had expected Sun City to be like Troy and, in fact, it did have the same old world skyscrapers of steel and concrete. The Knights, however, had built on top of them with much of the city over a quarter of a kilometre above the ground. The ancient skyscrapers, still with glass windows that indicated they were being maintained, now served as pillars with struts coming off to support the city's floor.

They parked in an underground segment, filled with scores of vehicles. Unlike to the east, there was a similarity to most of them, simple aerodynamic designs with solar panelled roofs with six wheels as the standard even for smaller ones. Osira opened the door and all four of them exited, Emma finding the spacious parking lot a relief after the cramped conditions in the APC while being underground meant she did not need to worry about radioactive dust.

Soldiers debussed from APCs until a dozen were milling around but their weapons were holstered or slung over their shoulders and most stood around talking. They were curious about Emma and the other Pirates rather than hostile towards them. That would change if ordered to apprehend them.

Chloe and Max walked over to where she and the others waited, both giving Emma a hug.

"Anything to know?" the former asked Osira.

"They are uncertain what to do with us," the soft-int specialist replied. "Their security is no better than that of the mercenaries: the idea that the circlets could be used by someone else appears not to have occurred to them. Our presence is being reported up to the top echelons."

"I feel so important," Chloe commented. "We've learned they don't like independent thinking."

"How was the journey?" Max asked Emma, who shrugged.

"Hopefully the most eventful part of the mission," she responded. "Now we're here, I'm curious about them, though. I kind of had the impression they would be more different."

"They did not want to talk to me," Chloe said. "Probably under orders not to but there was something more."

"We're going to be invited up," Osira announced. "We are to be interviewed by a functionary of Sun City."

"And I didn't dress for the occasion," Chloe commented. Their wardrobe was limited and all were in slacks and blouses fashioned from linen made in mech-operated 3D printers. Emma belatedly thought it would have been useful to have been wearing something crafted from leather to demonstrate their merchandise.

It was a couple of minutes before the direction filtered down to the soldiers and an NCO marched across to Obix.

"Representative Rawlinson wishes to speak with you," he declared and the mech looked to Osira, who turned to Chloe.

"We're an equal partnership," Chloe declared and Emma wondered if that would get tested as her mom often took the lead.

"You're a woman," the man said.

"Really? Max why didn't you tell me? All this time and I never noticed," Chloe responded.

"You were having so much fun that I didn't want to spoil it," Max smiled.

The NCO was evidently communicating with his superiors and there was another wait.

"What? It's 'no girls allowed'?" Max asked and Chloe shrugged.

"It would explain their aggressiveness," Chloe commented.

"Says the girl who played with guns as a teenager," Max laughed.

"First, that was only for self-defence against men with them; secondly, I was always responsible with firearms; thirdly, who says I've stopped?" Chloe responded.

"Two of you can go up," the NCO announced, directing his instruction to Obix.

"It should be you and Max," Chloe told Osira, who nodded, while appearing surprised.

The soldier looked to Obix but the mech said nothing and Emma watched Max-mom and Osira head across the car park, flanked by four troopers who were all notably taller and bulkier than the two women.

"I thought you would want to go," Emma told Chloe.

"I do," her mom admitted, rubbing Emma's arm. "But our techie and our time dancer are more capable. Besides, I'm starting to think these clowns are going to annoy me."

EIGHT

For the first time since arriving in Telkia, Max found herself separated from Chloe. There had been a few times apart, such as shopping with Emma, but the first time where there was the possibility of danger. She had such confidence in Chloe's decisions that it was easy to go along with whatever she suggested but now Max and Osira were on their own.

The events in Arcadia Bay, a lifetime ago, and the ensuing period with Chloe had made her self-assured but creating the vortex had undone that, followed by years of failing to get them back while working a job that did not suit her. It had left her double-guessing her choices and even the renewed ability to rewind time had not erased her fear of causing another disaster.

Even crossing the courtyard with Osira, Max wished she could match the younger woman's equanimity. The four troopers boxed them in as though they were dangerous criminals as they walked to a building, which was more of an enclosed section of the parking lot. The underground area was enormous, making even car parks in the United States seem small and some of it was given to buildings.

They passed through what was evidently a section under military control fronted by a curving wall with a guard at each door, although the one they passed through made no attempt to check identification. Within, Max and Osira were taken along a corridor with more doors, some open to show uniformed personnel working at desks. Some had the circlets, although many were using what looked and sounded like typewriters.

The troopers took them to a security scanner which they stepped through but flashed an alarm when Osira entered then had to explain the dozen or so implants she had, again resulting in messages going up the chain of command.

"They are simple tools for easing technical analysis," Osira told them. "A tracker, a port to connect to machines in the Order."

Max noted Osira did not mentioned mechs, which caused her to realise there were none in sight.

"Switch them off," a trooper ordered.

"I can't," Osira responded, looking at him as though he had spoken a different language.

Another delay as the fact was relayed and at least they had left the circlets with Chloe and Emma. The troopers who searched their vehicles might not have been interested but trying to wear them through security would have caused someone to take note. It also brought home that spying was a bad idea, regardless of how useful the money was.

Whoever was making the decisions evidently decided to let them pass but Max still wished Chloe was at her side. Chloe's presence always gave her strength.

Osira was looking around but Max could see little which would be worth reporting. There were more soldiers than she had seen in any of the Order's settlements but they were otherwise unremarkable. A pair were laughing about something, a cluster of troops with rank insignia that meant nothing to Max were stood around talking while another was rubbing his head around a silver circlet. Without the uniforms, it could almost have been an office back on Earth and not so dissimilar to that of Bright Horizons' suite of offices.

The soldiers, barely glancing at them, indicated they should proceed and were escorted to an elevator that was so like those on Earth that Max had a pang of homesickness. She would never trade for Chloe and Emma but missed greatly having showers and baths and all the convenience of modern society. It seemed silly how such a mundane item provoked such a strong sense of being away from home, despite the lack of friends there.

The presence of four soldiers, taking a corner each as though there was a danger of Max and Osira disappearing into them, dissuaded conversation. The four men - there had been no women so far - stood pretty much at attention, falling back on military drilling in the unusual circumstance. Max's thoughts tumbled over being in another surreal situation, in an elevator where she half expected it to open on a department store yet surrounded by soldiers who seemed to treat her as something alien. Beside her, Osira was composed and Max could not tell if it was a façade or she was truly unfazed.

The elevator hummed upwards and she had the impression it was moving faster than on Earth but figured there was little to stop at until it reached the city above, despite the long list of numbers it passed by on the way up.

"So, who is Representative Rawlinson?" Max tried but was ignored. "Any etiquette I should know about?"

Osira shrugged at her and Max was glad she was not going up alone.

"How was the ride across the desert?" Max asked her.

"Probably as it was for you," Osira responded phlegmatically and the elevator passed floor 50 before she continued. "Cramped with the staleness of the recycled air. A lack of privacy, which was more of an issue with Torus present. Processed rations and recycled water, together with whatever music Chloe Price decides to play over the speakers."

The last part had Max smiling as she recalled Chloe singing along or even trying to dance with her in the confines of the APC, laughing as they fell over. Occasionally, their happiness had felt almost desperate: reunited but fearful of being separated again and wanting to treasure every moment. Most of the time it was just the blissful joy of being together after another prolonged separation.

"How's Emma?" Max asked as they passed '70'.

"Good," Osira answered simply. "Perhaps a bit lost to know what her purpose is."

"Hopefully we can make something of this trading opportunity," Max considered, realising she had spoken slightly too loud for their audience.

The elevator came to a halt, the absence of movement causing Max to feel unsteady on her feet but had no choice but to step out as their escort did.

Max's first view of Sun City proper was of a large, open plaza with concrete ground but interspersed by circles containing apple- and pear-trees. Buildings surrounded the area, with some as many as seven storeys high and blocking any view beyond, although Osira was staring up. Any blue remained hidden by cloud but they were so high up that the tops of the buildings appeared to be almost touching the dark grey layer.

"The city must be so far up as to be clear of radioactive dust," Osira commented.

"On certain days, it must be above the clouds," Max considered.

"Move along," one of the soldiers ordered.

"And collect water vapour," Osira nodded, moving but at a slow pace. Whatever orders the soldiers had, they did not force them to walk quicker and it gave Max chance to observe the residents.

The women caught her attention first as all were dressed in white, including brimmed hats. The uniformity was unsettling, drifting about like ghosts as all had long dresses that covered from shoulders to feet, with only the white hats and coloured seams giving any life to them. Some even wore thin gloves so the only visible skin was their faces. There was open curiosity at her and Osira's presence: being stared at and people stopping to whisper with their companions.

The men were more diverse in their garb but all wore uniforms. Unlike their escort in combat fatigues, those already in the plaza wore dress uniforms, some burgundy with grey piping, others in dark blue and many in shades of green with flashes and insignia often in contrasting colours. Overall, it was as though Max had stepped into a mass wedding, with dozens of brides in white and three times as many military in their mess dress.

"Are there no civilians?" Max queried, feeling scruffy yet individualistic in simple slacks and blouse. One of the soldiers looked at her curiously then snapped his head forward again when she noticed.

"Perhaps Chloe can play some of her music and enliven things," Osira suggested and Max laughed. It was not that the people looked unhappy but they appeared restrained, their mannerisms and movements controlled. No children were present and conversations appeared to be at a subdued volume.

The soldiers led them along a broad avenue with residences and shops with neatly arrayed displays behind their windows. One with six identical white dresses added to the unreality of it: did women stand and consider which of them they preferred? There were food shops and furniture stores, just like in the east but there were no stalls nor neon lights and the city lacked the vibrancy of Shimada Settlement or Fort Jinyo before it was attacked.

Their presence disturbed the calm like a whirlpool through a lake. Despite the avenue being wide enough to easily pass, everyone stood back to let them and the squad of soldiers by but stared and discussed the newcomers as soon as they were beyond.

"We're making an impression," Max commented, as much to relieve some of the tension.

"Yes. Perhaps because we are not as clean as the inhabitants of Sun City," Osira responded, causing Max to notice that there was no dirt and the clothing was immaculate. It was almost like a simulation, where people were only avatars and the city lacked any sign of actually being lived in.

"It doesn't look like they have much use for leathers," Max added as they passed through a residential area. "I wonder where they manufacture their clothing."

"No mechs, either," Osira noted quietly. "At least, not in view."

Then they came in sight of a larger edifice, some six storeys high with a round central area and four rectangular wings for offices, sat on an open area with more trees. It was one of the few times Max had heard birds since coming to Telkia and peered at the leaves, trying to spot them. There was so much she wanted to photograph but had left the data pad at the vehicles for fear it would be confiscated.

"We have to keep Chloe away from here," Max added. "She would try to tag half the buildings and paint full murals on the rest."

"Yes," Osira said but sounded as though she did not like the idea of graffiti on the pristine structures. Max felt ambiguous about the notion of Chloe going around with a marker pen: amused at the idea of her lover putting her mark on the city yet embarrassed at despoiling a city others worked to keep clean; feeling that the occupants needed a little Chloe-brand anarchy, while not wanting the neatness disrupted.

Then they were entering the large building, passing a guard in a dark green and pale grey dress uniform as Max's thoughts turned to her surroundings. Like the city without, the construction was spotless with patterned blue carpets that looked almost new, while the beige walls were unmarked by scuffing or stains. Paintings of stern-looking people - men, Max realised - hung in precise spacing between each.

There were also men moving around, again in uniforms of various designs, some almost comically doing a double-take at seeing the two women dressed in worn slacks and blouses. Max wondered if they had any concept of casual wear. None were hurrying, moving instead at a measured pace and would stop to look but then seemed to realise they were staring so move on.

Herded by their guards, they entered a side room with a secretary - at least he appeared to be - working via a circlet, giving him a spaced out look. Tall, thin and of African ancestry wearing a dark blue uniform with blue flashing, his brown eyes focused on them as they stopped in front of his desk. The furniture had little on it, just a tray with a couple of pieces of paper and a circular display holder. A device that looked similar to an oversized keyboard was also there but the desk looked larger than required. It took her a moment to realise the keyboard was actually a typewriter.

"Representative Rawlinson will see you in a moment," he announced and indicated a row of seats.

As with everywhere, the room was functional, with just a painting on the wall of a man with grey hair and a shut cabinet. The secretary went back to staring at whatever he saw in the circlet while the soldiers stood around uncertainly until deciding without speaking to stand at the wall opposite to Max and Osira.

"I guess they don't get a lot of visitors here," Max said as she sat but it was quiet enough that talking seemed even more out of place. She wondered if the circlets would one day remove the need for speaking at all, with everyone sending mental speeches or desires through the devices.

After ten minutes, the secretary indicated they should enter and he followed them in, while indicating that the soldiers should wait in his office.

Like with the Bright Horizons' building, the more important the person, the larger their office and this one was double the size of the secretary's, although just as Spartan. More chairs, portraits and cabinets but very little personal that could belong specifically to the man who rose from behind his desk to greet them.

Rawlinson was as tall as his secretary at six foot in height and almost as slender. It was not a remarkable stature for Earth but nearly everyone Max had met on Telkia had been shorter than she was used to. He was dark haired with streaks of grey, including in his neatly trimmed beard, an indication taken with the lines on his face that Rawlinson was probably fifty or more. The Representative looked like he belonged in a Victorian or Civil War photograph, when they had to hold their faces immobile for the image to take.

He took Max's hand and bowed over it yet stopping well short of kissing the skin, completely surprising her.

"Representative Harland Rawlinson of the Knights of Liberty," he declared, with a sonorous voice that made Max half expect applause to break out. He spoke deliberately, clearly enunciating each word.

"Max Caulfield, um, trader," she answered and gave an awkward inclination of her head. There was no way she was attempting a curtsey, even if the situation seemed to call for it.

"Osira Greyfield, technology specialist for the Price-Caulfield Trading Company," Max's companion stated as Rawlinson bowed over her hand.

"Forgive the reception but you are the first… people to come here from the east to trade," Rawlinson stated and indicated they should take the chairs in front of his desk.

"It's a harsh world," Max commented. "To be honest, we did think it would pretty much be turning up and selling the animal skins we brought and getting a feel for what you need that we could supply and vice versa."

"You have seen our city," Rawlinson said, sitting back behind his desk but very upright, with his hands folded in front. "We want for nothing."

"Progress and wealth are driven by trade," Max countered. "Reclaiming this world won't be accomplished by isolationism. To stay insular is to stagnate. Even if the Order lacks advanced goods, we could have raw materials or new styles that could stimulate growth."

"What fanciful ideas you have been taught," Rawlinson stated and leaned back, ignoring Max glaring at him. "We believe in order. The people here have peace, prosperity and purpose." Max suspected the alliteration was often used as a mantra for the Knights. "We have some knowledge of Before and it was chaos. Just your presence is causing a disturbance."

"Like in the Force?" Max queried and then shook her head at his and Osira's puzzlement. Another thing she missed from Earth was familiarity with pop culture. Any reference to films, books or famous people was lost, even on Chloe if they were from the last 17 years.

"With all respect," Osira began, "we learned there was civilization in the west because someone attacked an Order outpost. It has obviously created a disturbance in our lands far greater than anything we have caused in return. If, indeed, your goal is peace, prosperity and purpose, then trading is a good way to ensure that and to demonstrate that the slaughter that occurred was nothing to do with the Knights."

"That sounds like a veiled threat," Rawlinson responded but it was difficult to tell whether there was any menace given he spoke with little inflection. Osira looked genuinely surprised.

"Threat? How so?" she queried.

"Make peace or suffer the consequences," he explained.

"A week of travel through harsh terrain separates us," Osira stated while Max began to think the int-soft specialist was not exactly sounding like a trader. "The Order could not strike you even if such was its desire. I was attempting to compare the actions: someone in the west destroyed a peaceful settlement. We are simple traders looking to make a living. Which do you consider fits your refrain closer?"

Rawlinson's jaw clenched and his cheeks coloured but his tone remained measured.

"I will assign people to escort you. I remain unconvinced but our knowledge of the east is close to non-existent so this will be an opportunity to exchange information. There are, however, rules to your stay here. We will provide the proper accoutrements and you will wear them at all times…"

"As long as it's not white," Max commented but Rawlinson was not amused.

"Follow the instructions of your escorts at all times," he continued, clearly annoyed at her flippant interruption. "As you will have noticed, men and women have distinct roles in our nation. You are here as guests so that we may each learn more and, possibly, trade. However, cause trouble and you will be sent away. Understand that includes distressing our women with the notion that they could or should be traders or doing other tasks that are not their responsibility."

"Chloe's going to love this," Max sighed. "We understand. Meek and mild. We know our place."

Rawlinson missed her sarcasm: "Good. Now, wait outside while suitable people are located."

"That could have gone worse," Osira considered as they returned to the seats in the secretary's office.

"Perhaps we should kow-tow next time," Max grumbled.

"As he pointed out, we are the first visitors they have had," Osira countered. "I do not know if I would have let us in had our roles been reversed."

"They wouldn't be, at least not here," Max said but, of course, the trading was only a cover to their spying so complaining about restrictions was hardly fair. Some of Chloe's opinions were rubbing off but that was easy given the apparent status of women in the Knights of Liberty's nation.

To her surprise, their escort was a woman.

"Mrs. Iris Chapel," she greeted them with an inclination of her head. Appearing in her late fifties, Chapel was only a little shorter than Chloe so notably taller than either her or Osira. Dressed all in white, of course, and holding a hat in her hands, there was something different in the style of her clothing, slightly looser than some Max had seen. Possibly a hint that fashion and therefore society was not entirely stagnant.

"We just came here to trade," Max said, feeling that merely managing that was going to be difficult enough without trying to spy as well. "Not knowing what was valuable here, we have only brought animal skins."

"First, you will need to change into appropriate attire. We will find you somewhere to stay and get changed. Tomorrow we will go to the shops," Chapel told them. "Please, follow me."

Chapel led them back through the city at a relatively brisk pace, although with her longer legs she was gliding along as Max and Osira walked after her.

"So, what do women do here?" Max tried.

"Please, I will answer your questions once you are settled," Chapel responded.

"An improvement on the guards, anyway," Osira shrugged and they proceeded along wide avenues. Max had yet to see a dark alley or narrow space. It was the most physically open city Max had ever come across, adding to her curiosity.

After half an hour of walking, which made Max realise how out of shape she was becoming following nearly two weeks in the APC, they arrived at a building that looked like most other residential ones: six floors yet only thirty feet wide, with framed, square windows and a white façade. It appeared identical to the buildings beside it, aside from the bronze number on its front wall designating it 'F3-12'.

"I hope the skyscrapers holding all this up are well maintained," Osira commented and Max considered that it would be a long drop if they were not.

"Quite an achievement to keep them intact for however long since they were constructed," Max agreed while considering that quickly constructed skyscrapers possibly a millennium old were not ideal for supporting a city of tens of thousands.

Chapel used a bronze knocker and even this was denuded of artistry, being just a simple sphere. Max guessed the same simple design was used for all the doors.

A woman in her thirties answered and Max's attention was caught by a grey stripe down both sleeves of the dress she wore. For all that she was younger than Max, the woman seemed worn down with her face already showing worry lines and pale amber eyes only briefly showing interest at the strange visitors. She had brown hair, lighter than Max's, tied up neatly in a bun with no strands evident.

"Lauren, these are visitors to our city and they will be staying in this building," Chapel announced. "Cazine's apartment should suffice."

"You don't have a hotel?" Max asked, wondering if they were just going to be placed with a family. She then had to explain what one was, which was almost surreal given how normal they were, like describing a house or a car.

"Who would stay in such a thing?" Chapel frowned then shook her head and returned her attention to Lauren. "There are two other women who I have to attend to. See that Ms. Caulfield and Ms. Greystream are dressed appropriately and they are settled in Cazine's apartment. I shall return shortly."

Lauren appeared to be about to object but nodded instead, although Chapel was already departing.

"This isn't what we expected," Max commented. "I'm sorry we've put you out."

"Please, come in," Lauren said and they entered a very small lobby with a winding flight of stairs up.

"No elevator?" Max queried.

"No," Lauren replied and began leading them up. "It would only encourage laziness."

"Tell me 'Cazine' doesn't have a room on the top floor," Max said, trying to lighten the mood. She had the distinct impression Lauren saw them as at least an inconvenience.

"She's dead but, no, Cazine had the third floor," Lauren told her and Max apologised.

"What happened to her?" Osira asked.

"Suicide," Lauren answered, which ended the conversation.

The apartment was half of the third floor, making it fairly spacious even for two and Max looked about curiously as Lauren led them in. There was little to indicate who Cazine had been, with the furniture simple carbon fibre constructs with little style and even the coverings a uniform pastel green. The walls had cream paint over them while the carpet was emerald, although without pattern. There was something inoffensive about it all after seeing the more garish colours of the Order.

Carbon fibre appeared to be the material of choice for crafting as everything from the chairs to cabinets to the window frames were made of it. She guessed a lack of synthetic materials prevented plastic as a building resource, while wood was just as scarce. The kitchen, like the rest of the apartment, was spotless, with a cooker and refrigerator that could be on display in a showroom. There was a painting on the wall of an austere woman who could easily have been a relative of the male shown in Rawlinson's office and Max had the impression she was important to the Knights of Liberty rather than Cazine specifically.

The only ornament was a 6 inch statue of a man in uniform but there was no indication of who he was either. There was a television but small, with a 20" screen and no indication of headsets, consoles or disc-players.

"Can we leave?" Osira asked and Lauren looked at her blankly before glancing at Max for further explanation.

"I don't understand," Lauren admitted. "You are not prisoners?" She made the second statement querulous as though checking an assumption.

"Never mind," Osira said. "What are we to do?"

"I will fetch you food and clothing," Lauren explained. "Please, wait here."

"I almost miss Chloe's music," Osira declared as they were left by themselves in the quiet of the building. "Don't tell her that. No locks."

Max left off from looking in the cupboards and drawers to see Osira peering into the corridor. For a moment, she thought the soft-int specialist meant it was unlocked but Max could see there was no sign of any lock or bolt. Her own searching revealed nothing interesting: cutlery made from carbon fibre, some thin metal pans and other cooking utensils but nothing of note. Then she noticed there were taps after her mind had simply accepted they were part of any kitchen before her mind adjusted to it being Telkia. They were the only ones she had seen outside of the Bright Horizons building since arriving and she turned the knob hardly daring to hope. Water, clear as anything back in the US came pouring out.

She poured a beaker and drank deeply, splashing some on her face and wanting to let it run but turning it off in case there was a limit.

"You don't know if that's contaminated," Osira said, returning to the apartment.

"No but they are technologically advanced, given they have the circlets and APCs, so I can't see them giving toxic water to their population," Max countered.

"Until we are certain, it is worth being cautious," Osira warned and Max sighed, knowing she was right but not wanting to hear it. Past-Earth had its problems but this version seemed to be actively trying to kill its inhabitants and Max wanted to relax from worrying about water or monsters or radiation.

Osira turned on the television, which seemed to show a soap opera set in Sun City from the dress and architecture. Max left her trying to prise the back off the set while she checked the bedroom. Here there was a picture of a couple in a circular holder on a bedside table, showing an older couple smiling and the most relaxed she had seen anyone. Presumably parents. A make-up table had only a few items: one tube of lipstick, one eyeliner stick, a brush, nail file, tweezers and hair bands. It all seemed to be waiting for Cazine to return.

A wardrobe of seven dresses, white with a grey strip, and Max held one up. Too tall for her but would fit Chloe, with a bit of pinching. She actually wanted to see her love in the dress but then recalled Cazine had killed herself. Of course, that had no impact on the clothing but it still felt wrong to enjoy seeing Chloe in something belonging to a person who had despaired so much they had ended their life.

"Why?" Max wondered, hanging the dress back up.

A single bed, as neatly made as one in a plush hotel or even a military barracks, with the sheets stiff against the mattress.

"This is running off electricity," Osira called, which Max noted but it made little difference. The fact that there was a shower stall with running water was much more interesting. She was tempted to use straight away but resisted and returned to the living room. As an apartment, it was as big as her home back in Past-Earth and Max again wondered what had driven the occupant to kill themselves. There was so little clue to the woman, with no diary or correspondence to rummage through.

"Do you know how this works?" Osira asked, looking up from the back of the television. It seemed odd that someone who could find her way around Obix's and the APCs' programming would need help with a TV but Max went and had a look. Her research on the device to restart and enhance her powers had included learning basic electronics but it took a few minutes for Max to understand that what she was looking at was even more rudimentary.

"That's a catho-ray tube and those are resistors," she explained and went on to point out various other parts to try to sate Osira's eager inquisitiveness.

"What…" Lauren began from the doorway. "Why have you broken the television?"

Max and Osira looked over the back of the set.

"It's not broken," the latter said and pressed the button on the front to turn it on as proof. There appeared to be only one channel but even that was impressive given the relatively small size of the society.

"Sorry," Max added. "We were just having a look. Comparing it to what the Order has."

_Did the men get the circlets and advanced technology while the women only have access to something belonging to 1950's America? _ Max pondered as she used a small file as a screwdriver to reattach the back cover.

"Please change into these dresses. They should fit but I will tighten them as required," Lauren handed them identical white dresses then placed a basket on a kitchen counter.

Max went into the bedroom, changed quickly and then stashed her clothes in one of the drawers on the off chance the Knights of Liberty decided to confiscate them. They were bland and she had no attachment to them but already had the desire to keep some outward sign of individuality. Putting on the white dress made her think of the Stepford Wives and the Handmaid's Tale but they were novels that only Chloe would have heard of. It was loose - the owner evidently had more chest and hips - and Lauren tucked it in while she stood like a mannequin.

"If it's not too personal, do you know why Cazine…" Max began, stopping as pale brown eyes looked up at her with a flash of anger before resuming their melancholy aspect. Lauren took a pin from her mouth and fastened the fold of the dress in place, then did the same with Osira. For all that the dresses seemed designed to give a sense of conformity, Max thought the soft-int specialist looked pretty with her black hair contrasting with the white of the clothing. Osira gave her a wry smile.

"All in this building are infertile," Lauren declared. "Hence the stripe. We are only a drain on our city."

"That's horrible," Max said. "Just because you cannot have children does not mean you have no value."

"I cook, clean and sew but will contribute nothing to the future of the Knights of Liberty," Lauren said. "Cazine… she decided not to waste the city's resources any longer."

"She had every right to life as anyone else," Max frowned. "How can you bear to be part of this?"

"You have never had children," Lauren stated, "so you tried to find purpose with work."

"It was a choice," Max responded, "not a sop."

"You are fertile?" Lauren looked at her in surprise.

"Yes, not that it matters," Max answered. "I am with another woman, who I love deeply…"

"That is not allowed," Lauren interrupted but without invective and continued: "If you wish to stay here, you should keep what you have told me to yourselves. I… I will pretend not to have heard. Your accent is difficult to understand."

"Why do you put up with this?" Max demanded. "You have rights."

"Rights? What are 'rights'?" Lauren asked and Max thought she was being sarcastic before realising that the notion was alien to her.

"Something that everyone is entitled to. Such as freedom of speech, equality under the law, free education."

"Such things exist but do not need to be stated," Lauren said, resuming pinning Osira's dress.

"Yet - if I understand - either you have children or are considered so worthless that you may as well kill yourself," Max argued. "Presumably, this attitude does not include the men?"

"They commit themselves fully to their jobs," Lauren explained. "But they are also not as valuable to the nation. After all, they will also not have offspring. As strangers, I do not know what the reaction of the authorities will be but same-sex relationships among us is banned but not overly investigated. For someone fertile, however, they are considered traitors for not doing their duty for the Knights."

"Wonderful," Max said flatly.

"This does not seem a good place to live," Osira stated with more equanimity than Max could manage.

"We want for nothing," Lauren responded. "We are protected and safe. Even if we cannot have children, we are not dismissed from the City."

"That's ridiculous," Max exclaimed. "Not having children does not negate your life. You can do anything you put your mind to."

"Please change back while I make the adjustments," Lauren instructed them. Even if dirty, worn and crafted in Telkia, putting on her simple slacks and blouse made Max feel more like herself. An almost bridal white dress just did not suit who she was.

"Is the water safe to drink?" Max checked as she watched Lauren work.

"Yes, at least no-one has ever said otherwise," Lauren responded, which hardly made her trust the water supply.

"What is your nation like?" Lauren enquired as she nimbly threaded the cotton. Max turned to Osira.

"As an outsider, you could explain better," Osira told Max, who shook her head.

"Confusing and dangerous about sums up my view," she said.

"Oh," Osira responded. "Well, compared with here there is a great deal more freedom. There is no direction on what anyone should be or do."

"Does that not create disorder?" Lauren asked.

"Well, yes, there is some and the nation is not as united as I would like and we have a slight problem with corruption, while Troy City is disproportionately important, as I am sure Sun City is, and too many seem more interested in what the latest fashion is than… I mean, we are free. If I want to be a trader, no-one is checking my fertility or gender first."

"I see," Lauren commented.

"The Order has some little problems but the Knights appears to have a large one that out-does all of them," Max said.

"We are content here. We have security and safety," Lauren responded and handed Max the dress back before starting to work on Osira's.

"Are you not allowed any relationships?" the soft-int specialist asked as Max was changing again. White always made Max feel even more pasty, her pale skin barely standing out from the material. There was a small mirror and blinked at the face that peered back at her. She actually looked more vibrant than she was expecting, as though some vitality had been restored that had been missing in the 17 years following sending Chloe and Emma into the vortex.

"Yes, some of the infertile men partner with us and then move to the towers," Lauren explained to Osira. "The pillars below the city," she expounded and Max realised that it meant people were living in the ancient skyscrapers that were supporting Sun City. "Their task is to maintain, repair and operate the machinery and pillars."

"You should come with us when we return," Osira offered as Max returned to the living room. "We will help you."

"This is my home," Lauren frowned. "I do not wish to leave."

"But you would not be considered less for not having children," Osira stated. "Or for being a woman: it appears this society is patriarchal."

"I do not wish to leave," Lauren repeated more sharply. "I want for nothing. I know of the Beyond and its terrors. Please, do not ask again."

"But you are hidden away here as though you have something to ashamed of," Osira objected and Max touched her arm to get her attention before shaking her head. Insisting would not change Lauren's opinion and they were trying not to get thrown out. Osira looked at Max, clearly annoyed but then nodded.

"I apologise," Osira told Lauren, who nodded and visibly relaxed.

Iris Chapel returned shortly after Osira was back in the now properly fitting white dress.

"I will visit at dawn tomorrow and escort you to the shops," she announced, nodding her satisfaction at their attire. "Understand that it is not our custom for women to trade or buy goods, so you it will be easier if you defer to your men in these matters rather than constantly disrupting our merchants with explanations."

Max resisted pointing out that one of their men was a captured attacker and the other was a mech.

"Our friends, Chloe and Emma: we wish to see them," she declared instead.

"They are several buildings away and being properly dressed," Chapel explained. "Understand that accommodation is in short supply and finding spare for outsiders is difficult. You were fortunate this apartment became available."

_That's one way of putting it was vacant due to a woman killing herself,_ Max thought.

"Do not wander," Chapel ordered. "I will collect you in the morning. Is there anything you need before I go?"

"Obix and Torus?" Osira queried.

"They have been given an apartment in the men's districts," Chapel answered as though it was a pointless question and Max could have predicted the answer.

"We could have slept in our vehicles," Max said, although the thought of a proper bed and a shower made the suggestion sound weak even to her.

"That is not necessary," Chapel responded impatiently. "If that is all, I bid you a good night."

"I will take the couch," Osira offered and Max could not summon an objection.

"Do you think it is deliberate that they have spilt us up?" she asked instead. "We are now scattered over the city."

"To what purpose?" Osira responded. "They could easily arrest us if they wished. Still, I don't suppose they are displeased."

She switched the television on while Max went into the kitchen to find the basket Lauren had left had bread, butter and a few berries. It was hardly a feast but it would be a pleasant change from what they had in the APCs.

"Well, this is far from the strangest situation I've been in," Max considered but Osira was watching the television and her thoughts inevitably turned to Emma and Chloe, especially how the latter was finding the attitudes in Sun City.

NINE

"Shit," Chloe said, staring at the mirror. It was only a handheld one but reflected a forty-year old woman with blue hair and wearing a white dress that made her look like a cultist or a priestess. She put the three-bullet necklace over it, even if it looked ridiculously incongruous.

_When was the last time I wore a dress? I don't even remember. This feels so weird. I guess they'd be pissed if I drew a skull on the front. Still, I bet Max looks hot in hers._

Walking back into the living room, Emma laughed and gave her a thumbs-up.

"It really suits you," her daughter said. "I'll ask if you can keep it."

"Sure: it's your turn next," Chloe grumbled. "I think they are designed to stop women running away. Who needs chains when you have this?" She kicked her leg and nearly stumbled as the dress caught, resulting in Emma laughing far more than it warranted.

There was a demure woman, Nerine Niles, working on Emma's dress and Chloe's questions to her had only received one word answers or avoidances such as 'it's not my place to say' or 'I don't know'.

"As high priestess, I command all men to bow before me!" Chloe intoned, holding up her arms and the woman looked at her with shock while Emma started laughing again.

Chapel had left them a while ago to return to Max and Osira, who were half a city away, if what she had said could be trusted.

"There are no locks on the door," Chloe observed. "What's to stop someone just walking in? I mean, I could be… um, showering or something."

"No-one would just walk in!" exclaimed the seamstress.

"What's to stop people stealing? There's not even an external lock," Chloe responded.

"That would be wrong!" Niles responded with a horrified expression.

Chloe stared at her but she had gone back to sewing.

"Okay, Emma, the joke's over," Chloe said. "This obviously isn't a real place."

"Mom, I hate to break this to you, but not everyone has your attitude towards possessions," Emma told her.

"If someone doesn't deserve to have something then its fair game," Chloe shrugged, tugging at the dress even though it now fit perfectly.

"I hope you're going to behave, Chloe Price," Emma said, sternly. "I don't want to have to ground you again."

"I'm sorry. I'll be good," Chloe responded meekly. "Besides, it's no fun if you can just take stuff." The seamstress looked at them uncertainly and concentrated on her sewing as though trying to shut out their conversation.

"This should be acceptable," Niles announced after a few minutes more of stitching while Chloe sat on a working surface in the kitchen eating an apple that had been delivered.

"So, you like sewing?" Chloe asked while Emma changed. _A real apple, as good as any I've had since… America._

"I am proficient," Niles replied and Chloe shook her head.

"But do you like it?" she persisted.

"Leave her alone, mom," Emma called and Chloe sighed.

"If I was hassling you, then I apologise," she said. How asking someone if they enjoyed doing something was bothering them was beyond her but guessed if their roles were reversed she would not want someone figuratively in her face demanding opinions.

"No, it is fine," Niles accepted but made no attempt to add to the conversation.

Emma stepped out and held out her arms.

"You look really beautiful, Emma," Chloe told her truthfully. Her daughter's red hair was complemented by the white material and made it even more eye-catching while the dress was tucked in to emphasise her figure. "You will have to stay here tomorrow though."

"Oh?" Emma asked, evidently prepared for some witticism.

"Because I'm not having all the boys in Sun City wanting to marry you and keep you here," Chloe told her.

"Then I shall just have to sneak out," Emma responded.

Niles looked at them puzzled, clearly bemused by their relationship but made no attempt to satisfy her curiosity.

"I am in the other apartment on this floor, should you need anything," she said instead.

"Thanks," Chloe told her, dropping from the counter and seeing her out. "Let us know if there are any parties."

"I will do," Niles promised, utterly surprising Chloe.

"Her idea of a party and mine probably differ greatly," she mused while wondering if there was actually another side to the restrained attitude of the occupants of the building.

"Looks like entertainment is one channel on the TV," Emma commented.

"I wonder if I can tune it to pick up something else," Chloe pondered but sat down on the sofa to watch some peculiar soap opera where the women were overly subservient to the men apart from one where the ominous music at the person's appearance indicated she was an antagonist.

"I think this is their idea of propaganda or brainwashing," Chloe said.

"Must… seek… man to… obey," Emma intoned.

"Oh, no," Chloe cried, "I've lost you!"

The following morning Chloe spent half an hour in the shower, feeling as though she was washing off years of only having steam baths and washes. Could she put up with living here? Probably not but breaking in and using the showers at every opportunity sounded ideal. Warm, clean running water. Grief, had she ever missed that.

"I've changed my mind," she told Emma while drying her hair. "Marry some Sun City stud and keep your moms in showers when we visit."

"I'll see what I can do," Emma smiled, watching a news program on the TV. "Perhaps if I line up 3 or 4 candidates for your approval."

"Marry who you want if they can get me a hot, non-radioactive shower when I want," Chloe grinned then indicated the television. "What do they have to say?"

"Everything is wonderful, apparently," Emma said. "We were mentioned: 'visitors from the east to be treated with respect and allowance made for our outlandish ways' That aside, some glitch in the thermal vent was solved, a thief was apprehended and taken to hospital for his mental condition, the outer territories have had a good harvest. I never thought Troy City's broadcasts would seem fair and balanced."

"Have I made you too cynical?" Chloe asked and Emma smiled before realising she was being serious.

"A healthy scepticism," her daughter responded and Chloe nodded. She had tried to be positive over the years but Emma had been the only thing preventing her despairing. Chloe had wanted so much just to protect and be with her yet constantly had to fight against smothering her growth, remembering her own teenage years as well as needing to prepare Emma for surviving Telkia.

"How do people put up with this?" Emma sighed. There was a man (of course) on the screen declaring the population was content and had plenty to eat, while the various raiders were being pushed back from the borders. The camera was low down so the angle made him look taller, almost as though those watching were observing a father.

"I guess there's nothing else," Chloe shrugged.

"Are you going to…" Emma began, emerald eyes looking at Chloe with concern. "I don't know, be okay? Try to change things?"

Chloe laughed and hugged Emma, kissing her forehead.

"Of course! I'll enlighten them before we go. We may need to stay a day or two longer to get through to everyone," she grinned.

"Seriously, mom," Emma said.

"I'm flattered that you think I can just turn up and change a society," Chloe smiled, arm around Emma's shoulders as she turned back to the TV. "Perhaps if I break into the studio, appear in front of the camera in slacks and blouse and go 'hey, women of Sun City, you can rock blue too!"

"I just don't want you to start any fights," Emma responded.

"I don't want me to start any fights, either," Chloe said. "I think my rebellious period might be coming to an end." Emma looked at her sceptically and Chloe grinned back, although, in truth, she was tired of butting heads with people. She had Emma and she had Max and enjoying their company was the priority. If that meant playing nice with a bunch of assholes, then play nicely she would.

There was a knock at the door and Chloe's call of 'come in' was ignored so she had to get up to answer it. Iris Chapel was there, appearing disapproving. _Must play nice, must play nice._

"Hey, Chap, how's it hanging?" Chloe greeted her, bowing to invite her into the apartment.

"It is Mrs. _Chapel_. How is what 'hanging'?" the woman queried, while frowning at Chloe's necklace.

"Things," Chloe responded, deciding that saying 'your dick' would not count as playing nice.

"They… they are well," Chapel answered then looked at the TV with approval. Evidently a fan of the speaker, then. "Forgive me but your manner of speech is… different to ours. Did you rest well?"

"Slept like a log. A tired log lying in a comfy bed," Chloe responded and meant it. Whatever the government was like, there was a lot to be said for a real bed.

"Good," Chapel nodded. "Please, follow me."

"We were about to have some breakfast. Join us, if you like," Chloe said.

"It's gone nine and you have yet to eat?" Chapel blinked.

"I've never been good with mornings," Chloe shrugged. "It will only take a few as its bread and cheese. You have meat vats, right?"

"What? I mean: I am sorry but I do not know what those are," Chapel said as Chloe went into the kitchen to break open the bread rolls, still fresh from yesterday. She brought one to Emma and another to Chapel, who appeared to take it more from politeness than desire then looked at a table that was off to one side. Chloe guessed TV dinners were not common as she sat back down on the sofa to eat.

"Energy, usually solar-derived, is applied to meat tissue to make it grow and, viola! Burgers!" Chloe summarised.

"No," Chapel told her, "the only meat we have is what is caught in the outlands by hunters." She seemed to rally, clearing her throat while holding the bun. "We will join your friends and visit selected stores. It is important not to wander off and follow my guidance at all times."

"I know that's important but I have a question," Chloe said as Chapel took a breath to continue, while coming round to stand by the television to be in their line of sight.

"It would be better to wait until the end," Chapel told her.

"I'll have forgotten by then. This meat the hunters are bringing in, how are you countering the radiation?" Chloe asked.

"I do not understand," Chapel frowned. Chloe had the impression she would gain another line on her face before the _Pirates_ left. "How is that relevant?"

"Um, because I don't want to eat toxic food?" Chloe responded. _Play nice_, she reminded herself but there was something about the woman that just made her want to be facetious. Emma looked up from the TV and Chloe thought she was going to be berated for irritating their host but turned to Chapel instead.

"Most of the radiation is at ground level," Emma explained, "with the majority of particles having long fallen from the sky. So, you should be mostly safe up here but if you are bringing animal meat up from ground level, it will still be contaminated. There's no way we will buy any. I saw the rad-shielded fields growing wheat so I trust this is safe." She held up her half-eaten bun, including the cheese within.

"I have no knowledge of that," Chapel responded. If she frowned any harder, her eyebrows would be below her nose. "That is not something I need to know. Now, please stay with me during your tour of the city. Your menfolk should do most of the talking with their counterparts."

"Yeah, that's going to be interesting," Chloe commented. "I love the way not having women talking to the men is more important than whether you are eating contaminated food but, hey, it's your society."

"The food isn't contaminated," Chapel stated. "You are guests here under sufferance but you appear determined to abuse our hospitality."

"Uh-huh," Chloe muttered, staring at the woman then finishing the bread bun. "I guess being in my virgin-sacrifice dress didn't earn any brownie points. Let us know if you find out about the meat."

"That is not…" Chapel began and Chloe rolled her eyes but then the woman surprised her. "I will."

They were on the fourth floor and heading down them was bad enough but she dreaded go back at the end of the day. What kind of cruel culture did not use elevators when they had the technology? Not smoking made no difference, she was sure, with Emma getting her off cigarettes and Max insisting she ate or drank instead of inhaling marijuana. Just as well she loved them both. On the other hand, the Knights of Liberty did not seem to have either so she would have to cope anyway.

"Grief, I want a joint," she commented on reaching the bottom. Emma gave an indifferent shrug and Chapel seemed to think better of asking what Chloe meant.

"I'd settle for a Max-mom 'special' cookie," Chloe sighed as they stepped outside. It felt strange to have the air against her skin and no dome. The clouds looked low enough that she could reach them from the tallest buildings.

"These bands on the dresses," Chloe said after a moment of enjoying the fresh air. It was cooler up here, which she should have predicted but had not thought about it. "What do they signify?"

"Grey is infertile, red infertile but married, blue is fertile, green is fertile and married," Chapel explained.

"Yay, like livestock," Chloe commented. "I guess the men don't have to be marked."

"No but their fertility is known on the registers," Chapel explained. She seemed to battle curiosity and lost. "Does… your nation not have the same?"

"Nope," Chloe answered. "That's something the couple goes over between themselves."

"But you are infertile? Forgive my bluntness: it is not normally discussed at all, hence the markings saving people from embarrassment," Chapel declared.

"No, why would you assume that?" Chloe responded. "At least, last time I check everything was good."

"Then why are you not a mother? Why… please, do not answer. Pretend I did not ask," Chapel said and was so visibly upset that Chloe felt bad for trying to rile her earlier, although not knowing about the radiation procedures was inexcusable.

Chapel strode along the streets leaving Chloe no chance to explain had she wanted to. She and Emma shrugged at each other and followed until coming to another apartment which looked just like the one they had left. Chloe itched to break up the regularity as though it really was a physical sensation caused by the uniformity of design. They passed a postman, delivering mail who tipped his hat to them so Chloe grinned and sketched him a salute, while Emma waved back as well. He seemed surprised but not unpleased by the reaction.

Others went by with inclinations of their heads or tapping their hats: wide-brimmed white ones for the women and military caps for the men. Chloe had been given one as well, which she wore tilted back to better feel the light and air. One or two people did a double-take on realising her hair was blue and as many at Emma's natural dark red.

"Wait up," Chloe eventually said as Chapel continued to move just short of running with less decorum than most. Trying to keep up wearing the long, loose skirt with its many folds was annoying. Chapel looked at her angrily and Chloe came to a halt in surprise but then the woman composed herself.

"Yes, Ms. Price?" Chapel enquired, her brown eyes calm.

"Chloe. I was just wondering what you did for fun around here," she said then felt awkward at the frivolousness given the flash of fury the woman had displayed.

"Fun?"

"Yes. Fun." Chloe wondered if the word had somehow been banned by the Knights. Chapel sighed and resumed her walk, albeit at a more normal pace.

"There is a ball this week but it is only for those infertile. I will get your marking changed," she told Chloe.

"What is all this shit about fertility?" Chloe demanded, holding her arms up. "Leave the marking. I'll gatecrash your ball."

"Swearing is not permitted. It is recorded that Sun City was failing," Chapel explained. "The population was declining to the point where the city would soon need to be abandoned. The survivors would have to flee in the hope that it would be better elsewhere, perhaps join with another settlement. The Knights of Liberty came to power with a different plan."

"So, you pair off the fertiles so they aren't with someone who can't give them kids," Chloe nodded. "Harsh."

"It worked," Chapel responded and indicated the city.

"But it's rarely 100 percent one or the other," Chloe said but, whatever the details, Sun City was thriving.

"Wait here," Chapel instructed as they reached a building that looked like every other residential building.

"Thoughts?" Chloe asked while Chapel was inside.

"It sucks," Emma replied phlegmatically, removing her hat, shaking her hair loose and facing the cloud-obscured sun. "I would have found another way."

Chloe nodded but wondered if the people back then had tried everything. The population on Telkia was recovering, the radiation levels falling but it was a brutal trial. How much worse back then, closer to whatever disaster had ruined the world? No. Emma was right: there had to be a better way.

Then Chapel reappeared, leading Max and Osira. Then she and her love were laughing and admiring each other in the white dresses while Chapel was telling Emma to put her hat back on.

"Very pretty and innocent," Chloe grinned.

"You look like a punk in a dress," Max retorted. "A very, very hot punk in a dress."

"Shit, you look good," Chloe said. "What do you say to leaving the younger generation to sort everything while we go up to your apartment?"

"I say it's a great idea and we get to criticize anything they get wrong when they return," Max laughed.

"We should get moving," Chapel declared, frowning at them. "The men will be waiting."

"Oh, no!" Chloe exclaimed. "Should we run?"

"No," Chapel responded and Chloe could not tell if she caught her sarcasm or not, "but no more dallying."

"Sorry, mom," Chloe said meekly, earning another frown. She did not know the woman at all well but thought there was something bothering her, as though wanting to concentrate on the task at hand and glad of someone easy to disapprove of.

She chatted with Max, filling in the details of the past evening apart with all the eagerness of their renewed love. Behind them, Emma and Osira were discussing technology but Chloe was more interested in out-doing Max on superlatives describing sleeping in a proper bed and access to clean water. She did warn about eating meat in Sun City but were soon discussing their accommodation again.

"What, no tag or personalisation?" Max asked. "A whole evening and the room is still intact?"

"Ha ha, you should have gone into comedy instead of photography," Chloe responded. "I don't _have_ to leave a mark everywhere I go."

"Yet, somehow, you do," Max grinned.

"I'll leave a mark on you," Chloe said. "A big hickey that will have the locals tutting disapproval while hiding their jealousy."

Max burst out laughing, which never ceased to thrill Chloe.

They arrived at an even wider boulevard with pear trees and what looked like blackberry bushes, although currently without fruit. Chloe was torn between enjoying the tranquillity of the route and wanting to enliven it; perhaps an anarchy symbol or a ten foot middle finger. Chloe's her heart was not in it with Max and Emma walking with her. Perhaps just a raven, flying free.

"We must wait here," Chapel announced and indicated a bench that Chloe sprawled on while their guide was saying they could rest if they wanted. _Fricking dress,_ she mentally complained. _Maybe I can get someone to sew pants and a blouse out of it. Or a parachute and jump off the side. How cool would that be?_

Max came and sat, leaning against her as they people watched.

_Maybe tomorrow._

It was a few more minutes before Obix, Torus and a man in a dark blue uniform with white flashings appeared.

"I wonder how their evening went," Max mused. "The fact that there's not an army with them means they did not give the game away." She belatedly glanced at Chapel but her attention was on those approaching from across the boulevard. From the directions people were walking, the wide street divided the female and male zones and served as a meeting place.

"This is nice," Chloe considered. "We ought to do this more often."

"I give you five minutes before you're bored," Max smiled, looking up at her with those depthless steel-blue eyes.

"It's the only way I can stay alert for danger," Chloe responded and Max nodded thoughtfully. It was true that they should not relax but she had not meant to spoil the moment.

"Corporal Fabian Lores," the uniformed man greeted them, speaking to Chapel. "The gentlemen are insisting on deferring decisions until they have spoken with the ladies accompanying you."

He was tall, almost the height Luna was but slimmer and younger. A forage cap neatly squared on his head with a silver badge sat over a narrow face and prominent nose.

Chapel introduced them all. Chloe's 'yo' seemed to perplex him yet she was starting to think the residents were too far from her cultural normality to wind up. They just seemed to see her as some exotic creature who barely spoke their language. The others glanced at her and she felt mild irritation at the expectation of having to lead. She knew it was her fault for often wanting to be doing but this was Osira's mission in a land where men were in charge. Besides, everyone was all 'don't give us away, Chloe' as though she would start blowing shit up or something yet were looking at her to decide what to do.

"Lead on," Max said, beside her. "Please take us to someone likely to want to buy animal skins."

"There are hunters," Emma added. "So, there must be someone with leatherworking skills."

The corporal looked at Obix, who looked at Osira, who nodded but the mech was clearly uncertain how to proceed and declared: "we should obey that directive."

Lores stared at Obix for a moment before turning to Torus.

_This is so much better than the TV's soap opera_, Chloe thought, sitting back and watching. Max nudged her and she toned down her grin.

"Yes, absolutely," Torus agreed in an execrable American accent. "Let's do it."

The corporal led them along the boulevard in near silence as neither Obix nor Torus wanted to question him, while the women walked a few steps behind, taking in the sights. There were no cars or draft animals but Chloe noted several motorized carts hauling goods.

"So, what happens if I try to get ahead of the boys?" she asked Chapel after a few minutes while Osira was whispering with Max.

"You don't know where to go, so what would be the point?" their guide countered. "Please, stay in your place."

"It's not _my_ place," Chloe muttered as Osira tapped her arm to get her attention. She fell back behind Max and Emma and some distance from Chapel let alone the corporal.

"The more they underestimate us, the better," Osira stated. "I have tasked Obix with finding me tonight. We are going to attempt to break into their military network…"

"Count me in!' Chloe declared, ignoring the part of her brain recalling a soft bed and claiming forty was too old to go breaking into military facilities.

"I appreciate the offer but Max will be more useful," Osira told her.

"Just because she can rewind time?" Chloe asked and Osira held out her hands. "Look after her," Chloe said firmly. "I mean it, Oz. She'll kill herself with that ability if you let her so don't let her."

"We will be careful," Osira assured her. "Please, trust me in this: it is only for emergencies."

"You know how we came here," Chloe added.

"I have no desire to be drawn into any more vortices," Osira said. "We will act as though it does not exist."

"Let me come along as well," Chloe almost pleaded.

"You know the more there are the riskier it is," Osira responded. "I am aware how much Max means to you. We will take care of her."

Chloe swore and then glowered at someone passing who heard her.

Max joined her as Osira moved back up.

"I'll be fine," Max said, touching Chloe's arm as they turned off down a side street that was still overly large for the scattering of pedestrians.

"New plan," Chloe declared. "Screw trading and the Order, both. We just live here."

Max laughed and, despite her fear, Chloe's mood lifted.

"I'll teach you how to sew," Max nodded. "Sounds like cleaners are in demand, so I can teach you how to hold a broom."

"I do my share of cleaning," Chloe objected.

"Of course," Max smiled and nudged her.

"I do some cleaning," Chloe amended and nudged her back. "Would it be so bad? We go grey stripe so we're left alone and just enjoy a real bed, clean water and walking outside without a rad-dome making me feel like I'm in the world's worst snow globe."

"You'll be good with not having an opinion?" Max asked as they reached a tanners on the city's edge, which was a ten-foot high wall surrounding the settlement. Chloe wanted to climb up and take a look over.

"I'll have opinions and I'll share them with you," Chloe replied, watching a pair of men further along affect repairs on the wall. They had overalls on top of their uniforms. _Did they fricking sleep in uniforms?_

"I can't wait. Chloe, between my power, Obix's strength and Osira's tech skills, I'll be fine," Max told her.

"Just be careful, Max," Chloe told her as the others were discussing price with the tanner, who was having the same problem as the corporal in speaking to the two not making decisions. Torus was beginning to sound more confident, even if his assumed accent remained ridiculous.

"We should see what other tanners offer," he declared.

"Why would they offer different?" the leatherworker queried, genuinely puzzled. "He would also need to see what you have first as well."

"We should accept his generous offer," Osira said.

"Woah," Chloe interrupted before Obix could agree. "We have some quality pelts and possibly different from what you can get around here. Let's not agree to anything just yet."

Inevitably, the tanner turned to Obix, who went with what Chloe had said. What kind of set up did not even barter?

Osira was frowning at her but Chloe wanted to trade and it would help their cover if they put some effort into it. Maybe it was why she loved Max and Emma so much: they were the only ones not constantly scowling disapproval at her.

"It's probably easier to take you down to have a look and then use one of those cart things if we can strike a deal," Chloe told the tanner, who looked at the corporal. Lores shrugged.

"How about if I relay everything to Obix and he can repeat what I say?" Chloe suggested and all three of the Sun City people looked relieved at the idea, nodding.

"I wasn't being serious!" Chloe exclaimed. "I've done experiments: you won't catch cooties from talking directly to a woman."

Osira took her aside because: of course she was going to. Iris Chapel was stood a few steps behind with her arms crossed and Chloe felt as though she was back at school.

"I'm sorry, Oz, I'll try to improve my grades," Chloe told Osira.

"What? Chloe, please, I consider their rules as peculiar as you do but we are ambassadors here, at least for a couple of days longer," Osira said.

"We have to look like traders," Chloe observed. "We _are_ traders. Just going with everything they want is going to be suspicious.

"I'll try to tone it down," she sighed. _Fuck I want to tag something. Anything. Mess up this bright, shiny dystopia._

She knew much of her annoyance was from worrying about Max going into danger and an almost phobia about her disappearing again. Five years in Seattle without a word then reunited and that sense of everything being right, of never being apart again only for Chloe and Emma to end up here and Max remaining in what was now the past. It was hardly paranoia that Chloe half-expected to turn round and find her gone again.

Accompanied by the leatherworker, they were being led back to the elevator and Chloe scowled at the pretty façade the city gave. People were polite and rarely hurrying. It sparked a thought.

"Hey, Chappie, what's the crime rate like here? I mean, discounting segregating people," she asked.

"Please, call me 'Mrs. Chapel.' I don't disrespect you by calling you…" she halted and shook her head.

"Pricie?" Chloe laughed. "You totally should." Max and Emma were grinning and even Osira was trying to hide a smirk.

"You have no respect for anything," Chapel sighed, reminding Chloe so strongly of Blackwell Academy that she could picture the woman in its halls. Probably telling people not to run or chew gum while ignoring bullying.

"There are cases where someone disrupts the harmony of Sun City," Chapel continued with no subtlety in implying it applied to Chloe. "Court is held every Friday in Liberty Plaza. Assuming you are not on trial, I shall endeavour to obtain permission for you to attend, should you desire it."

"Was that… a joke?" Chloe smiled but Chapel's features gave nothing away and might well have been serious about them being on trial. "I would be delighted to attend the punishment of Sun City's criminals."

"There is no need for you all to go down," Lores was telling Torus.

"We want to check our vehicles," Osira said, "if that would be acceptable."

"It's cool, I'll hang out up here in Paradise City," Chloe declared.

"I will discuss trading with the tanner," Emma said. "Well, I'll recommend to Torus and he will do any deals."

Chloe gave her a thumbs up. She would have gone herself but the corporal was correct in that eight of them going down was pointless. Chapel, Max and Obix - the latter at Osira's direction - stayed up top as well.

"If you are permitted to the court, please restrain from commenting," Chapel said. "People's fates are determined and some flippant remark could cause unwarranted harshness in any punishment. Do I have your word you will not disrupt it?"

"Sure. Word given, Chaps," Chloe agreed, taking a seat near the elevators as they waited for the others to return. With the buildings and people moving to and from the elevator, it was not as peaceful as the boulevard but quiet enough to hear birds chirping in the trees dotted around the city.

"There isn't much sun," Chloe considered, looking up at the clouds. It was strange being so much closer to them and not really pleasant. Like she could brush her head against them if she stood on tip-toe.

"They were going to call it Cloud City but that was copyrighted," Max told her.

"Nerd," Chloe laughed.

47


End file.
